Boswell's accurate appraisal

[freddyg12]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

I think you overrate the Redskins. That's common, of course.

Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle-El do not make an elite receiving tandem. Moss had the one great year for us, and he's still an extremely dangerous weapon, but as was the case as a Jet he is inconsistent due to nagging hamstring and groin injuries. He is by no means durable. Randle-El is just beginning to develop, but he has never posted more than 800 yards in a season. Our WRs are average.

To call Jason Campbell special at this stage is giving him way too much credit. Peyton, Brady, and Palmer are special. Campbell has been inaccurate on deep throws all season, he throws a low liner on deep passes. He's a very promising QB, but I can think of about 10 QBs in the league right now who would have performed better than Campbell if they were on our team.

So much of our offensive ineptitude this year stems from the offensive line's injuries. Our running game would look tons better if we just had Randy Thomas, let alone Jon Jansen. You did say it; WHEN HEALTHY our line is really good. But it's not healthy, not even close. It's nothing more than average right now.

Boswell is right on the money. The Skins have done nothing this year to make me think they're anything better than an average NFL team. They're at a fork in the road right now. They've been traveling down the road of mediocrity so far, and now they're in position to choose one of two paths: overcome injuries, establish an identity, and take the road to the playoffs, or choose the road that leads home for January. Who the hell knows what to expect - but one thing's for sure, the results of this second half could be a defining moment in Gibbs' career. Can he turn an average team into a serious playoff contender, peaking at the right time? Or will his guys fold up like lawnchairs? If he can still coach as well as we all think, we'll have a December to remember yet again.

Great post, the ending is very revealing & brings up a point:

Talent & ability is not just measured in the players, but also the coaches. We have the highest paid staff w/a hall of fame coach. That has a lot to do w/fan expectations & I hope has a lot to do w/why we're 5-3. I think you can say we have a very "talented" coaching staff.

I'd say our player talent is above avg. for the starters when all are healthy, but not high above avg. Overall, we are avg. because of poor depth in several areas. So I agree w/Bos for the most part.

Every year there are a few teams that over achieve. You're right in that if Gibbs can get these guys to play in Dec. the way the old Gibbs' teams did, we'll be right in the mix.

[SC Skins Fan]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

JLC's blog is still there. It's under Columns/Blogs. I don't know why it's not on Redskins page anymore though

Thanks. His blog on JC is worth reading too, glad you pointed out that the Redskins Insider hadn't gone away.

JC Through 15 Games - Redskins Insider

[MTK]

His blog is still there on the main Redskins page, just look at the menu they have there now and click on Insider.

[JWsleep]

The registration thing for JLCs blog was just if you want to post a comment--there's lots of nuts who jump on that thing.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by firstdown

Maybe its not that people overrate the skins it just that some like to think more positive than others. I have seen several people here that have nothing positive to say even when we win big like in the Lions game. Why cheer for a team when all you have is negative things to say. I'm just wonder how some people here can even root for a team when they are just so negative. You can say that I'm blind to what the team is doing but it is a whole lot more fun to think positive than to sit around a pi$$ and moan about the team some claim to love.

Thinking positive is great, it basically stems from an emotion... hope. We all hope the 'Skins make the playoffs, there is no doubt about that.

But thinking positive, or feeling hopeful, is completely different from what you actually think about the team. In order for opinions to be valid, everyone here needs to strip the emotion away, and evaluate the team as if you didn't care about them. Once you do that, it becomes clear we're average. If you don't do that, then right or wrong, your opinions tend to get dismissed as homerism.

Then once you realize we're average, you bring the emotion back come gameday, and you root for Joe Gibbs to accomplish something great - taking a team with solid talent and ravaged by injuries deep into the playoffs.

Thinking positive is great, but if you see the team for what it really is, you just might be able to enjoy the accomplishment Joe Gibbs is about to make. I see us for what we are, a middle-of-the-road football team. But I also see us for what we can be, a really good football team, and my excitement, hope, and vision exists explicitly because of our Hall of Fame coach. I think it's best to see us for what we are, but be hopeful for what we can be.

[BleedBurgundy]

Man it seems like we keep going down the same roads--- overrated vs underrated, gameplan vs execution, offiss vs everybody. We need a big win over the eagles to give us something to talk about...

[paulskinsfan]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

To be honest, I think the fact that we're an average NFL team comes as a revelation to many, many people on this site.

I agree, as Ive gotten into many debates for calling the Skins a mediocre team. Despite a 5-3 record, they just aren't that good right now. They need a solid WR and to build both lines.

[70Chip]

I think he's right on the money. I think the key to the rest of our season is wether or not Portis can be a threat. I don't have any expectation that the passing game will dramatically improve, but if Portis can do what he's done throughout his career (run fo 90-something yards per game) then I think we can find a way to get 250 yards from Campbell and be in position to fight for a wild card.

Also, the best way to overcome red zone difficulty is to take more shots to the house between the 40s. They need to start doing that more. We don't get nearly our share of PI calls and I think they need to at least give the refs the chance to throw a flag.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

Thinking positive is great, it basically stems from an emotion... hope. We all hope the 'Skins make the playoffs, there is no doubt about that.

But thinking positive, or feeling hopeful, is completely different from what you actually think about the team. In order for opinions to be valid, everyone here needs to strip the emotion away, and evaluate the team as if you didn't care about them. Once you do that, it becomes clear we're average. If you don't do that, then right or wrong, your opinions tend to get dismissed as homerism.

Then once you realize we're average, you bring the emotion back come gameday, and you root for Joe Gibbs to accomplish something great - taking a team with solid talent and ravaged by injuries deep into the playoffs.

Thinking positive is great, but if you see the team for what it really is, you just might be able to enjoy the accomplishment Joe Gibbs is about to make. I see us for what we are, a middle-of-the-road football team. But I also see us for what we can be, a really good football team, and my excitement, hope, and vision exists explicitly because of our Hall of Fame coach. I think it's best to see us for what we are, but be hopeful for what we can be.

I was speaking more of the everything is a negative poster I see posting day in and day out. I know what the Skins are as a team but that does not mean I have to sit around and moan and groan as some do. It does not do one bit of good. I'm fine with pointing out the negatives but its not all negative so I don't JUST dwell on the negative.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by firstdown

I was speaking more of the everything is a negative poster I see posting day in and day out. I know what the Skins are as a team but that does not mean I have to sit around and moan and groan as some do. It does not do one bit of good. I'm fine with pointing out the negatives but its not all negative so I don't JUST dwell on the negative.

That's true. The sense of 100% doom and gloom are the emotions that result from unrealistic expectations. When you love your team like crazy, and you want nothing more than to see them win a Super Bowl, and the team doesn't deliver, the natural emotional response is going to follow the person's predilection for glass half empty or glass half full.

The glass half fulls are going to tend to overlook every problem and insist blindly that the team will win it all. The glass half empties will overlook all positives, and insist that the organization needs a major overhaul of coaching staff and front offices. Neither are correct, as both are emotional overreactions.

To understand the team, you have to leave your emotions out of it. That helps set appropriate expectations. Once you've got the expectations in place, then hope like crazy for them to beat those expectations.