Brunell is killing Portis

"Nobody fears their vertical passing game so safeties are making a living on the run," said Rick "Doc" Walker.

That's what I've been saying since day one Doc. I cannot believe anyone still thinks Brunell deserves to be starting. That man belongs in an old age home, not on the football field. He's been killing Portis because no one believes Brunell can throw a pass except to a back or TE in the flat or to a WR running a 5 yard curl. Does anyone actually believe Portis is the bust and not Brunell?

Mark Brunell can't throw on the move, he throws high, he has completed only 2 passes for 30 yards or more this SEASON, he has the least yards per passing play in the NFC, he led this team to its worst offensive outing in 43 YEARS, and he's throwing for what .8 touchdowns per game?

Gibbs is absoltuley crazy for sticking with this guy. I guess he realizes we just made a $40 million mistake and wants to try to see this thing through in the hopes that the Mark Brunell of TWO years ago will resurface. Why not call Sonny Jurgenson? I bet we could get him for less.

Finally, does everyone realize we're going to lose a high 2nd round pick for Brunell? We traded our 3rd rounder last year to get Brunell. To get Cooley, we had to trade next year's second rounder to the Saints. Cooley was on the board when Jacksonville used our 3rd rounder. If we don't shape up fast, we're going to have lost a HIGH second rounder in order to get Brunell.

Brunell alone isn't killing Portis, let's not oversimplify things. The line and Portis himself are contributing to the effort as well.

Brunell alone isn't killing Portis, let's not oversimplify things. The line and Portis himself are contributing to the effort as well.

The line is holding Portis down, Portis isn't struggling to pick himself up, but Brunell is strangling him. Matty, do you actually believe Portis is the bust and not Brunell?

It's very easy to say, there's not a single person that is to blame. That's true, a bunch of people are to blame, just one or two people more so than the others.

Brunell is the worst quarterback I've seen here in D.C. since Danny Woefull.
I find it interesting that no one held back their criticisms of Woefull, Matthews, etc. when they were playing. And back then, it would've been a lot easier to say their poor performances were the result of piss poor talent on offense.

Brunell has Coles, Gardner, Jacobs, Thrash, Cooley, Portis, Samuels, Thomas, and others on offense. I've never seen someone do less with more than Mark Brunell.

You guys are excactly right. Brunnel is the main problem with our offense right now. If you look back two our first two games against the bucs and giants, they tried to stop us with 7 men and we absolutely just plowed right through them down the field. Then after that both teams said fuck this, were stacking the box, lets see you guys throw the ball. And to this very day we have not been able to do it. This is the nfl, you got to be able to pass and throw. Once we get a vertical passing game, i don't see us having much sucess.

Portis isn't a bust and neither is Brunell, the entire offense is the bust right now.

I think it's much easier and convenient to blame one guy than the entire unit.

So once Ramsey plays the offense will do a 180? All of a sudden Portis will be a beast, WR's will be wide open and won't drop passes, the clock management will improve, etc?

I guess Ramsey will switch his #11 for a big red 'S' and our problems are solved? I can't wait!

Let me make a prediction:

Ramsey will start within 3 weeks and Portis' numbers go way, way, way up. Ramsey is no Peyton Manning, but he stretches the field. He'll have turnovers, but he'll move the chains and keep us in every game.

It's sad we knew by the 3rd quarter last week we were done even though we were only down by a TD. Do you know why we felt that way? Because we knew Brunell can't move sh-t. With Ramsey, we might have 2 INTs, but we've ALWAYS got a fighting chance to win.

Portis isn't a bust and neither is Brunell, the entire offense is the bust right now.

I think it's much easier and convenient to blame one guy than the entire unit.

So once Ramsey plays the offense will do a 180? All of a sudden Portis will be a beast, WR's will be wide open and won't drop passes, the clock management will improve, etc?

I guess Ramsey will switch his #11 for a big red 'S' and our problems are solved? I can't wait!


Matty,

I'm sorry, but I think your devotion to Gibbs, though admirable, is coloring your opinion of Brunell. I've heard you blame a single individual for woes countless times the last two years. All of the sudden, you want to avoid any assessment of blame other than a VERY easy out "it's not one person, it's the entire unit." I think it is far easier to say it's the entire unit, than pointing your finger at one or two problems.

Matty, I'm also glad you committed yourself to saying Brunell isn't a bust. I say he's the biggest bust since Big Daddy.

Without sounding like a d--k, by week 8 I'll re-post this and we'll see whether Brunell is a bust. I'll be happy to eat crow if I'm wrong.

Let me make a prediction:

Ramsey will start within 3 weeks and Portis' numbers go way, way, way up. Ramsey is no Peyton Manning, but he stretches the field. He'll have turnovers, but he'll move the chains and keep us in every game.

It's sad we knew by the 3rd quarter last week we were done even though we were only down by a TD. Do you know why we felt that way? Because we knew Brunell can't move sh-t. With Ramsey, we might have 2 INTs, but we've ALWAYS got a fighting chance to win.

How right you are.


Even though Ramsey only played a quarter or a quarter and a half in the New York game you can't deny you can see these qualities in him.

1. He has a lot of energy.
2. He will do and indore whatever it takes to win a game.
3. He's not afraid to take chances.
4. He's got a great arm.

Right now Brunnel is showing these qualities.

1. He has no energy.
2. He can't win a game.
3. He will not take any chances.
4. He has a lousy arm.

I'll take Ramsey .

I'll be more than happy to eat crow if Ramsey steps in and becomes the answer to our problems.

I would blame Brunell if he was the main problem, but he's not. He's part of the problem, but he's not the only one. It's not one or two things wrong right now, to say so is really oversimplifying things.

The O-line, Portis, the WR's dropping balls and not running precise routes, the playcalling, the system, etc. are all problems that need correcting and tweaking and it won't matter a damn bit who's behind center as long as these problems exist.

Ramsey isn't a quick fix, far from it.

I'll be more than happy to eat crow if Ramsey steps in and becomes the answer to our problems.

I would blame Brunell if he was the main problem, but he's not. He's part of the problem, but he's not the only one. It's not one or two things wrong right now, to say so is really oversimplifying things.

The O-line, Portis, the WR's dropping balls and not running precise routes, the playcalling, the system, etc. are all problems that need correcting and tweaking and it won't matter a damn bit who's behind center as long as these problems exist.

Ramsey isn't a quick fix, far from it.

I agree with you that Ramsey isn't a quick fix or the solution to all of the problems, but he would likely dramatically improve one area. The threat of a downfield passing game which can cause a domino effect. I've said before, regardless of what other skill position players you have, teams make their defensive gameplans based on the QB's weaknesses.

If a team isn't at least concerned about the threat of a passing game they have no hesitation blitzing every 3rd down, putting 8-9 in the box or just sitting back in a zone because they know that arm strength limits some of the throws that he can make. The O-line problems won't be solved by a new QB, but they may be blocking fewer players if the safeties are playing deep rather than shooting a gap. Portis won't be any more patient with a new QB, but he may find more room to run against 7 vs. 9 in the box. I don't care how tough he is, Coles isn't going to keep getting hung out to dry by Brunell every game and still go after the ball with the same vigor. The play he got crushed by Ray Ray on was a high pass that he stretched to get. The WR will be in better positions to catch the ball with a stronger armed QB because he can throw to cause separation, not float to allow for recovery.

All that being said, arm strength isn't the only thing a QB needs to have. Ramsey needs to show he has the other intangibles. We know what Brunell can't do, it's time to see what Ramsey can.