NFL.com's Redskins Season Preview

[TenandSix:Unacceptable]

Originally Posted by mooby

There used to be a point in time where I'd get upset about this, but this is par for the course as the season previews for the Skins go so it's no biggie. I'll be content to let our play on the field do the talking for better or worse.

It's not like you've got much choice.

[Redskin Warrior]

i really feel that there are two areas that will determine whether we win or lose. Those areas being offensive line play and defensive secondary play. J. Campbell has proven last year and this preseason that with time he can make all the throws. We can't give up big plays in the secondary we have upgraded our defensive line and Orapko & Haynesworth should wreak havoc on QB's this season.

[Ruhskins]

Originally Posted by Beemnseven

The offensive line is what really worries me. Looks like the stab in the dark that was Mike Williams isn't going to work out. And while Dockery is younger, does he really present an upgrade over what we had with Pete Kendall?

You just cannot dismiss the wear and tear these guys take going into November and December.

8-8 won't save Zorn's job, and unless JC has a Pro Bowl year, both of them are as good as done in Washington.

Well so far the offensive line had held its own against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and New England. And although this was preseason, well this situation is better than them being completely killed in the preseason. Durability should be a concern, but I think we should take into consideration that our back ups are more experienced and could potentially replace some of the older linemen.

While I will be realistic and say that if JC or Zorn don't produce they will most likely be gone, here is the other side of that coin....

Zorn and Campbell's success in the next season could translate into success for the team in the next couple of years. Think about this:
- We have a talented bunch of young receivers (Kelly, Mitchell, Davis, and Thomas)
- Two talented young defensive ends (Orakpo and Jarmon)
- A young secondary (Hall, Landry, Horton, and Barnes...maybe Tryon)
- We have a couple of veterans in their late 20s who could contribute at a top level well into their mid 30s (Haynesworth, Rogers, Rocky, Cooley, and maybe Portis)

With a good draft next year of LBs and offensive lineman, our team could be set for the next 5 or 6 years. My point in all of this is that the team has been building throught the draft over the past two/three years. And Jason Campbell's success this season is key to our team. Should Jason fail next season, we are looking at starting once again with a new starting QB, and wasting away some good seasons while a new QB develops (unless the team happens to get lucky and pick up a veteran that can pick things up right away).

[CultBrennan59]

Let's let the season play itself out, cause last year the Titans weren't expected to do much, and for a while they ended up being one of the best teams in the league

[44Deezel]

Originally Posted by Beemnseven

Well, we haven't exactly seen that yet.

Yes, they seem to be more involved this preseason. But if Kelly or Thomas can't supplant Randle Friggin' El, then we're back to square one.

So the point remains, we're counting on the same guys who couldn't produce last year to find another gear that nobody's seen.

Wasn't the team pretty good before the O line started falling apart? Even if the talent was exactly the same as last year, as long as the O line stays healthy, Samuels in particular, the Skins should at least be as good as they were during the 6-2 start.

And if the Defense is better and gets more turnovers and sacks and actually scores every now and again, the Offense will benefit and the points per game will go up. If the Skins averaged 3-5 points per game last year, they would have been in the playoffs. The Offense only needs to be marginally better then they were last year, and even if they're only as good as they were during the 6-2 start, they're still a playoff team.

[irish]

I agree with the assessments, this is an 8-8 team. If they get some breaks they could get to 10 wins but if they stumble then they could only get to 6 wins. Either way, I think 8-8 is a pretty fair prediction.

[Beemnseven]

Originally Posted by Ruhskins

Well so far the offensive line had held its own against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and New England. And although this was preseason, well this situation is better than them being completely killed in the preseason. Durability should be a concern, but I think we should take into consideration that our back ups are more experienced and could potentially replace some of the older linemen.

While I will be realistic and say that if JC or Zorn don't produce they will most likely be gone, here is the other side of that coin....

Zorn and Campbell's success in the next season could translate into success for the team in the next couple of years. Think about this:
- We have a talented bunch of young receivers (Kelly, Mitchell, Davis, and Thomas)
- Two talented young defensive ends (Orakpo and Jarmon)
- A young secondary (Hall, Landry, Horton, and Barnes...maybe Tryon)
- We have a couple of veterans in their late 20s who could contribute at a top level well into their mid 30s (Haynesworth, Rogers, Rocky, Cooley, and maybe Portis)

With a good draft next year of LBs and offensive lineman, our team could be set for the next 5 or 6 years. My point in all of this is that the team has been building throught the draft over the past two/three years. And Jason Campbell's success this season is key to our team. Should Jason fail next season, we are looking at starting once again with a new starting QB, and wasting away some good seasons while a new QB develops (unless the team happens to get lucky and pick up a veteran that can pick things up right away).

I'm not concerned about skill with the O-line. As you said, the issue is durability. I just think it's a huge roll of the dice to assume good health with these guys going into the last quarter of the season. And the backups? Rinehart, Bridges, Mike Williams (assuming he even makes the cut), and anyone else who makes the final roster are big, big question marks. If we have to depend on any of them we're cooked.

I agree about the apparent infusion of youth at the other spots though.

[Beemnseven]

Originally Posted by 44Deezel

Wasn't the team pretty good before the O line started falling apart? Even if the talent was exactly the same as last year, as long as the O line stays healthy, Samuels in particular, the Skins should at least be as good as they were during the 6-2 start.

And if the Defense is better and gets more turnovers and sacks and actually scores every now and again, the Offense will benefit and the points per game will go up. If the Skins averaged 3-5 points per game last year, they would have been in the playoffs. The Offense only needs to be marginally better then they were last year, and even if they're only as good as they were during the 6-2 start, they're still a playoff team.

See above with regard to the health of the O-line. But no, I don't agree that if the rest of the talent stays the same, we'll be just fine. We MUST get help from Thomas and Kelly. Moss, Cooley, and Randle El just aren't enough to get the job done through the air. They have to be more than "marginally better". Even during the 6-2 run we weren't exactly a scoring machine.

Defensively, yes, we bet the house on Haynesworth and Orakpo to add the missing dimension of quarterback pressure. All I'm going to say is that they better be as good as advertised.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

I don't remember much about La Canfora's predictive ability in the past, but it's worth pointing out that this group is made up of JLC and four guys who don't know 1/3 as much about the Redskins as JLC does.

Or most of us around here.

[FRPLG]

I think the line between a 8-8 team and a 12-4 team is pretty thin. Mostly I think that line is made up of experience, chemistry and confidence. It takes one good season to start putting those three things together. We have talent to win 12 games (healthy). We're probably an 8-8 type team though. We could also fold up and win 4 games. It really comes down to just doing it.

[Jay Schroeder]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

The experts take last year's standings and basically rinse and repeat. Does anyone go out on a limb anymore?

Skins 10-6

Mark it down

agreed....I've looked over there schedule numerous times and came up with this optimistic assessment

[MTK]

I'm still amazed that some don't see Dockery as an upgrade over Kendall, who at 36 is still a serviceable lineman, but he's also one with arthritic knees and is undersized at 285. Dockery gives us much needed beef up front and he's definitely an upgrade in my book.

While no big moves on offense were made that doesn't mean there won't be any improvements this year. The continued development of Thomas, Kelly, Davis, and Heyer is what is going to pay dividends, and of course JC finally having a 2nd season in the same system should reap some benefits as well.

[redsk1]

Originally Posted by Beemnseven

Well, let's be honest with ourselves -- we finished up as an 8-8 team. And we did basically nothing to upgrade the obvious weakness, which was offense.

They gave us props for our D, so there's that. But we're counting on the very same players who gave us an offense that got outscored by the Lions -- hoping that just some more time with the playbook will make all the difference.

I figure we're in for another 8-8 season, maybe 9-7 if things really fall into place. The "experts" probably aren't that far off with those predictions unless our offense wakes the hell up and gives us something we can't even imagine.

Exactly. 8-8 last year. No real changes to the offense which was dreadful last year. Yes, we're hoping some young players step up, but that's hoping at this point. We're hoping JC turns into a top level QB, but that's hoping.

I think we could be better than that, but if I were a non skins fan i would most likely predict 8-8 too.

[CRedskinsRule]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

I'm still amazed that some don't see Dockery as an upgrade over Kendall, who at 36 is still a serviceable lineman, but he's also one with arthritic knees and is undersized at 285. Dockery gives us much needed beef up front and he's definitely an upgrade in my book.

While no big moves on offense were made that doesn't mean there won't be any improvements this year. The continued development of Thomas, Kelly, Davis, and Heyer is what is going to pay dividends, and of course JC finally having a 2nd season in the same system should reap some benefits as well.

I absolutely agree with this post. Didn't Kendall have to take Wed practices off? Not saying he was not good at his position, but if Samuels, Dockery, and Rabach practice together every day, the cohesiveness of the unit has to improve, imo.

Also, our 2nd year players have shown very good signs this preseason, so we should see good things there. I really think that our schedule gives us another advantage. After the Giants, we play a lot of teams that will likely not be contenders. This will give our team more time to get "on the same page". It should almost be like a real-time pre-season.

On my wishful days, I would hope we could blow out the Lions and Rams and Chiefs, and be resting some of our starters, like Samuels, Haynesworth, and CP some in the 4th quarters. I know blowout and Redskins hasn't been very synonymous recently. But I hope so.

I think we should be no less then 5-2 at our bye, and I hope maybe even a little bit rested.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by CultBrennan59

Let's let the season play itself out, cause last year the Titans weren't expected to do much, and for a while they ended up being one of the best teams in the league

Yea, and at one point last year we were one of the best teams in theNFL.