Smoot Lays The Smack Down (Redskins vs. Colts)

[SmootSmack]

I can't imagine Beck not starting on Thursday

[NC_Skins]

Originally Posted by NYCskinfan82

Since we all agree Beck is not a pro-bowl QB,

Speak for yourself when you say "we". I on the other hand have no idea if Beck is going to be Pro-bowler or a Toilet Bowler. We don't have enough evidence to make a distinction either way at this point in time.

[NYCskinfan82]

Originally Posted by NC_Skins

Speak for yourself when you say "we". I on the other hand have no idea if Beck is going to be Pro-bowler or a Toilet Bowler. We don't have enough evidence to make a distinction either way at this point in time.

I was trying to make a point but in your case never mind.

[Hog1]

Originally Posted by NC_Skins

Speak for yourself when you say "we". I on the other hand have no idea if Beck is going to be Pro-bowler or a Toilet Bowler. We don't have enough evidence to make a distinction either way at this point in time.

Totally....looks good so far..........but more evidence is required.

[NC_Skins]

Originally Posted by NYCskinfan82

I was trying to make a point but in your case never mind.

Sorry.

[NLC1054]

Originally Posted by Lotus

But we didn't have much of a vertical dimension to the offense against the Steelers, either. If memory serves the longest completion was a catch-and-run and generally shots were not taken down the field. Maybe this problem is an artifact of circumstance. But if we don't take occasional shots, over 16 games safeties will cheat towards the line and the running game will suffer thereby.

Deep passes are traditionally low percentage passes, so you want to take those shots when the have a higher probability of being completed. The Colts defended the deep pass all night, rushing for and dropping seven into coverage on nearly every down. There was no opportunity to pass deep, so you're likely looking at an incompletion, or even suckier, a turnover. Then we'd all be sitting here talking about Beck's decision making.

I mean, you have to look at Houston's offense as the way we do things, since it's essentially the same offense. Matt Schaub doesn't stretch the field a lot. He's highly efficient in the short to intermediate route, and they now have a strong running game. But if you do cheat and put a safety in the box, Schaub will have no problem throwing one deep-ish to get you to back off.

It's only one preseason game, and I think it's kind of foolish to think our "gameplan" for the Colts game will be our gameplan all the time. I guarantee the Ravens will cheat a safety in the box to stop the run and force Beck to pass. I expect him to at least be able to show that, yes, he can throw the deep ball, to get them to back off.

[MTK]

Didn't DM lead the league (or very close to it) in completed deep passes last year? How'd that work out for us?

[Lotus]

I wasn't talking about going deep all the time. Of course deep throws are low percentage. I believe I used the adjective "occasional."

I simply alluded to the fact that taking an occasional shot keeps the defense honest. We haven't really done that yet this year. And such shots can be taken safely, without much fear of a turnover. Many teams do this.

A lack of taking shots is only problematic if it is chronic. We haven't yet had a chance to see if it is chronic. But we haven't taken shots in the first two games - that is all that I was saying.

[MTK]

Perhaps we just don't have enough of a sample size yet to make any accurate determinations regarding the deep game, or lack of one.

We haven't had many problems moving the ball so far, I'll take that over the all or nothing offense we mostly had last year.

[freddyg12]

I'm curious to see Beck play in general (missed Friday), but especially so to see him throw deep. There have been a lot of nfl qbs that are said to not have a "strong arm" but that doesn't mean they can't throw deep, it's just not as easy for them. From what I read about friday's game, he always had someone open so it wasn't an issue that he didn't go deep.

[NLC1054]

Originally Posted by Lotus

I wasn't talking about going deep all the time. Of course deep throws are low percentage. I believe I used the adjective "occasional."

I simply alluded to the fact that taking an occasional shot keeps the defense honest. We haven't really done that yet this year. And such shots can be taken safely, without much fear of a turnover. Many teams do this.

A lack of taking shots is only problematic if it is chronic. We haven't yet had a chance to see if it is chronic. But we haven't taken shots in the first two games - that is all that I was saying.

Rex took two shots versus the Steelers. The first one was on the play action bootleg to his left, where he had Davis open for the first down, but threw it deep to Stallworth in the end zone. It was incomplete. The second shot was on a pump and go to Santana Moss. Moss was double covered by the corner and the safety. Incomplete.

Versus the Colts, there was no point in "taking a shot to keep the defense honest", because the defense more or less bailed on being worried about the run game. In the whole time Beck was in the game, I count them blitzing twice (and on one, Beck hit Moss on a crossing pattern that resulted in a first down). Every other time, they dropped 7 guys into coverage and rushed the passer with 4 guys.

The Colts pretty much sold out the run by being totally committed to defending the deep pass. At that point, "taking a shot to keep the defense honest" is pointless, because the defense is pretty much giving you the run game and the ability to throw it short whenever you want it.

And it's funny, because last year, Kyle was accused of trying to go deep too often. Now he's accused of not trying to go deep enough. (Not by you, just in general).

How quickly things change...

[NC_Skins]

I'd rather consistently go 80 yards in 10-15 plays, while moving the chains and controlling the clock, than to go 80 yards in a single play on occasions.

[NLC1054]

Originally Posted by NC_Skins

I'd rather consistently go 80 yards in 10-15 plays, while moving the chains and controlling the clock, than to go 80 yards in a single play on occasions.

Bingo.

I thought we sucked last year a controlling the clock. No point in McNabb throwing a 78 yard bomb to anyone if he gets to the red zone and the drive stalls and we have to kick a field goal. Teams kick our butt a lot based on TOP, which also contributed to our defense being torn up all season.

[warriorzpath]

Originally Posted by NC_Skins

I'd rather consistently go 80 yards in 10-15 plays, while moving the chains and controlling the clock, than to go 80 yards in a single play on occasions.

Yes, that's what I would also call - being in full control of the game.

It's boring to some, but this is what I enjoyed and why I became a fan of the redskins during the reign of Gibbs I. Every season, under the Gibbs I era, they were consistently competitive even when they weren't good enough to compete for the superbowl. And some of the main reasons were the ones that you mentioned above.

[Chico23231]

much greater concern than throwing it deep is converting in the red zone. I dont give a sh*t if we throw it long to get down there or dink and dunk. But it doesnt take a genius (even though many of us are on this board) to understand coming away with 7 is better than 3 and in our recent history of kicking fieldgoals, 0. Throw the damn ball in the endzone or a RB run over someone to get in...our redzone issues are nothing new