'Bring the Pain' Stepping away from the panic button, slowly

[SirClintonPortis]

Jason Campbell had ONLY 26 pass attempts in a game where there was 17 POINT DEFICIT for almost the entire 1st half and they were still trailing in the 2nd half. And no no-huddle until the two minute warning in the 4th quarter. Ridiculous. The Browns went into it when they had 10 minutes to go in the 4th.

[NYCskinfan82]

I'm upset but don't press the panic button yet the giants are a good team as much as i thought we were finally on there level we are not yet but i think we will get them at our house. When you gave JC the time he hit whatever he threw at.

HTTR.

[insideman]

Originally Posted by Paintrain

I'm easily as frustrated at today's game as any out there. That was a pathetic showing, on the national stage, against a division opponent. I was in the game chat venting my frustrations with the rest of you but I am going to take a step back in my evaluations and acknowledge a few things before 'bringing the Pain'.

It was one game, week one and we're in no worse position than half of the league at 0-1. We played the Giants, recognized by many as the or one of the best teams in the league. For as poorly as we played, we were within a touchdown going into the 4th quarter. It sucks terribly to have to deal with this upcoming week but it's not the end of the world or the season.

Ok, time to 'Bring the Pain'. I've only got one victim this week, Jim Zorn.

Playcalling-Wow, that was the worst game I'd seen called since, well last season's opener. Some obvious examples:

-Plain stupidity-How can you call a WR reverse pass on the 2nd game of the season? Any jr. high school coach knows you have to set that play up. That sapped all momentum from the opening drive. Yes, Randle-El should have thrown the ball out of bounds, but more importantly, he shouldn't have been in that position to begin with!! Terrible decisions all around.
-Run/pass ratio-We trailed from the first snap the offense took yet Zorn called the game as if we held a 17 point lead. All but 3 possessions started with a run. ALL BUT 3! I understand wanting to keep the running game viable, but when you are running the ball on 2nd and 9 while you are down 2 possessions on your side off the 50 in the 4th quarter is moronic.

-Having the pulse of your players-Whatever you think about Jason Campbell as a QB, one thing is known about him. He is a rhythm passer. Get him going early and in a comfort zone and he's much more successful. One thing jumps out at me about him, he's much more comfortable and confident in the shotgun. For example, he was 14-17, 171 yards, TD today from the shotgun (6-6, 70 yds on the final drive) & 5-9 for 40 yards under center. If I can recognize that from my La-Z-Boy, Zorn should recognize this as well. I think his stubbornness gets in the way of what's best for the team. I am a JC supporter so take this with a grain of salt but you can be successful with him IF you put him in positions to do so! Let him do what he does well rather than trying to make him do what you ideally want someone to do. I think good coaches tailor what they do to the players they have and what they do best, not the other way around.

Team management and preparation-Pretty terrible showing in some really basic areas. Tackling, discipline, conditioning, penalties. We weren't physically whipped, completely out schemed (aside from Blache's vanilla defenses) or out-talented. We were beat, as usual, on the little things. Lack of gap integrity, poor effort on tackles, lazy/sloppy play. One of my biggest gripes with Zorn this preseason was how little he used the starters. He was acting like we were coming off of a Super Bowl run and returning all 22 starters.

We came out with nothing and stayed that way. The Manningham TD was the type of defensive effort that gets high school coaches fired. The Boss completion late in the 4th quarter, every DL stopped their feet while the play was alive and the QB had the ball in the pocket.

Finally, one specific gripe from last season that seems to have carried on, why is Laron Landry playing 20 yards off of the line of scrimmage?!?!? If he's one of our defensive playmakers, put him in positions to make plays!!!

I still think we've got 10 win talent and will go on a nice run with some lesser teams on the horizon.

Outstanding tread,,, When Sydner replaces Vinny and the front office and coachs, then we might start to see some progress. But Sydner needs to start now (and he may well have after todays loss) really really try and find some way to bring in a very talented coaching staff that knows what they are doing and start the pain staking process of rebuilding this team. Snyder needs to lose his pride and look into what has helped some of the other teams like the Pats,Steelers,etc. be so successful. And quite this shit of trying to break the bank just because he has the money. Common sense can go along ways.

[insideman]

Originally Posted by SirClintonPortis

Jason Campbell had ONLY 26 pass attempts in a game where there was 17 POINT DEFICIT for almost the entire 1st half and they were still trailing in the 2nd half. And no no-huddle until the two minute warning in the 4th quarter. Ridiculous. The Browns went into it when they had 10 minutes to go in the 4th.

This leads to piss poor coaching.

[Paintrain]

Originally Posted by 44Deezel

That last drive is a bit deceiving. It was garbage time. Judge Campbell on the plays that matter. QBs always pad their stats when the outcome has already been decided. Not impressed with 6-6 at that point in the game.

That's fine, albeit a cowardly way to discount production, so what's the judgment on being 8-11 for 100 yards from the shotgun formation? He's much more effective and comfortable in the shotgun and playing in rhythm than dropping back and throwing on 2nd and 3rd and long.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Paintrain

That's fine, albeit a cowardly way to discount production, so what's the judgment on being 8-11 for 100 yards from the shotgun formation? He's much more effective and comfortable in the shotgun and playing in rhythm than dropping back and throwing on 2nd and 3rd and long.

I think he was one of the people who was ready to throw Campbell under the bus after going 1/7 against the Steelers in a quarter of action.

So 1/7 in a preseason game against the Steelers = bench/cut player
6/6 in the fourth quarter of a two score game against Giants = discountable garbage time.

Never mind that if we recover the onside kick, we probably win the game.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

I think he was one of the people who was ready to throw Campbell under the bus after going 1/7 against the Steelers in a quarter of action.

So 1/7 in a preseason game against the Steelers = bench/cut player
6/6 in the fourth quarter of a two score game against Giants = discountable garbage time.

Never mind that if we recover the onside kick, we probably win the game.

Please don't say reasonable things like that when so many people obviously NEED to panic.

[Zerohero]

Portis looked so slow after that first drive.

[GusFrerotte]

Good thread to calm folks down. Yeah we need to do shotgun more. The last drives of each half were in 2 minute drill and he led two scoring drives.

[CRedskinsRule]

I think JC is so comfortable in the shotgun, I almost wish it was our primary formation, and find a way to make the run work from it.

[T.O.Killa]

Originally Posted by CRedskinsRule

I think JC is so comfortable in the shotgun, I almost wish it was our primary formation, and find a way to make the run work from it.

Why the hell was he under center on that play that he audibled to run the ball.

[Paintrain]

Originally Posted by T.O.Killa

Why the hell was he under center on that play that he audibled to run the ball.

I also remember a play when he was under center with an empty backfield. That is the dumbest formation in football.

[T.O.Killa]

I think our offensive problems are 50% JC and 50% Zorn's play calling.

[RedBar]

Great post, the play calling was predictable even from my living room. I don't think you can be a good team if you run run pass all game and then open the playbook with five minutes left and a two score deficit. Unless your counting on recovering a bunch of onsides kicks and then scoring again as GTripp astutely mentioned. Which I guess would then be a great offensive gameplan!

[Paintrain]

Originally Posted by T.O.Killa

I think our offensive problems are 50% JC and 50% Zorn's play calling.

I don't get the 50% JC. Help me out, fumble was bad, INT was stupid, audible (and reason) was inexcusable. How is that 50%?