Post Indy Game Thoughts

[skinsfaninok]

Originally Posted by artmonkforhallofamein07

Opening with the Saints away is a tough way to start a season.

Not after we go there and steal a win. Every season there is a surprise win on opening day, why not be us?

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by skinsfaninok

Not after we go there and steal a win. Every season there is a surprise win on opening day, why not be us?

F yeah.

[CultBrennan59]

Originally Posted by skinsfaninok

Not after we go there and steal a win. Every season there is a surprise win on opening day, why not be us?

I expect us to win that game against a team who's missing their best coaches and half their defense, a new guard, and different wideouts. Especially if sproles is hurt still.

[skinsfaninok]

Originally Posted by CultBrennan59

I expect us to win that game against a team who's missing their best coaches and half their defense, a new guard, and different wideouts. Especially if sproles is hurt still.

Exactly.. only thing is keeping them off them field

[The Goat]

Thought the win over Indy showed some real good things. RGIII has elite talent. We have a great competition going at WR. Morgan has already flashed some awesomeness and Hankerson seems to have great hands. The last two WRs to make the final cut should have great potential.

Morris...deserves his own paragraph. Ran against the first teamers behind a pretty underwhelming line and consistently gained ground. Hopefully next year between a fully recovered Hightower, Morris and healed up Helu as our change-of-pace threat we'll be a dominant rushing offense.

And the defense is already solid as long as Fletcher is on the field. If the secondary can tighten things up it could be a special defense.

...definitely looking forward to the opener

[skinsfan69]

Lot's of optimism around here. Indy is a bad football team people. They won 2 games last year. Anyone remember the Bears game? Their 1st team against ours?

[MTK]

Indy isn't the same team that went 2-14. Who knows if they're any better yet, but just saying it's not the same team at all.

[Chico23231]

Originally Posted by skinsfan69

Lot's of optimism around here. Indy is a bad football team people. They won 2 games last year. Anyone remember the Bears game? Their 1st team against ours?

so we crushed them like we should have...i think its a positive when we beat a team we should beat.

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by skinsfaninok

How about Niles Paul returning kicks??? He's a TE?? Lol geez I really don't remember having so much speed on our team than we do now.

I loved it. He's huge and can bowl over the backup WRs and CBs that the other teams use as gunners. We saw the damage he can cause in kickoff collisions last year (Rams game) so lets give him the ball to run over people...no flags!

I also read this morning that Santana Moss personally asked to be put on punt returns. He's slimmed down and is faster than the last couple of years and reportedly told the coaches "I'm here if Brandon Banks stubs a toe."

I think Banks might be out despite his big return game last week. We have so many options.

Austin saw a lot more action this week. I don't remember seeing Robinson.

If I had to bet on the WRs, we're going with:

Garcon
Moss
Hankerson
Morgan
Briscoe
Robinson


Kick and punt returns will be handled by any of: Robinson/Paul/Moss/Richard Crawford.

Banks is still doing what he does on returns, but Coach Shanahan CLEARLY said he needs to produce as a WR to make the team. 2 catches, 7 yards in 3 games and he has had plenty of targets.

Aldrick Robinson has 8 catches for 132 yards and a TD, including a 49-yard long. Banks and Robinson have identical 25.5 yard averages on kick returns. Briscoe has a team-leading 2 TD catches. Moss, Garcon, Paul, Morgan and Robinson all have 1.


Side note...Alfred Morris is the man. He's our guy, with Hightower on passing downs until Helu comes back...I like that setup.

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by skinsfan69

Lot's of optimism around here. Indy is a bad football team people. They won 2 games last year. Anyone remember the Bears game? Their 1st team against ours?

Bad teams we played last season:

Cardinals, W 22-21
Rams, W 17-10
Bills, L 23-0
Dolphins, L 20-9
Seahawks, W 23-17
Vikings, L 33-26


See the reason for excitement now? Even our wins against the worst teams in the league, we couldn't take them by more than 7 points. I just re-watched that Cardinals win last week and it was a nail-biter.

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by Monkeydad

Bad teams we played last season:

Cardinals, W 22-21
Rams, W 17-10
Bills, L 23-0
Dolphins, L 20-9
Seahawks, W 23-17
Vikings, L 33-26


See the reason for excitement now? Even our wins against the worst teams in the league, we couldn't take them by more than 7 points. I just re-watched that Cardinals win last week and it was a nail-biter.

I think we're better on paper but paper doesn't win games. Not getting my hopes up after a convincing win over a bad team in pre season. If we lose to New Orleans, which I think we will, I want to see a close game in which the offense scores points. Then I'll have some optimism. We've been down the pre season hype road before. See Osaka.

[30gut]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

What do you guys think of RG3 through the preseason? About expected? A little better than?

Reaffirmation:

o quick release
o quick feet
o escapability
o long ball distance
o touch
o velocity to throw the deep sideline out
o ability to go throw progressions
o poise

I felt Griffin was very closely (too) managed through preseason.
They seemed very averse to letting him throw against tough coverages and they limited his pure drop back rhythm passing reps.

I can't wait to see the shotgun/pistol read option elements of the offense.

[CultBrennan59]

Originally Posted by 30gut

Reaffirmation:

o quick release
o quick feet
o escapability
o long ball distance
o touch
o velocity to throw the deep sideline out
o ability to go throw progressions
o poise

I felt Griffin was very closely (too) managed through preseason.
They seemed very averse to letting him throw against tough coverages and they limited his pure drop back rhythm passing reps.

I can't wait to see the shotgun/pistol read option elements of the offense.

Yeah I agree, one thing I really noticed this preseason was how contained Mike and Kyle kept RG3 this preseason. You could tell on a couple of plays where RG3 would take off and run. They only did to my knowledge one bootleg play. 1 screen play. And they did what looked like a QB option but with the RB taking the ball regardless. When the season starts in less than 2 weeks, the shanahans will unleash the beast.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by 30gut

Reaffirmation:

o quick release
o quick feet
o escapability
o long ball distance
o touch
o velocity to throw the deep sideline out
o ability to go throw progressions
o poise

I felt Griffin was very closely (too) managed through preseason.
They seemed very averse to letting him throw against tough coverages and they limited his pure drop back rhythm passing reps.

I can't wait to see the shotgun/pistol read option elements of the offense.

I agree with this post all around. I was very disappointed in the way Gryphon was used in the preseason and I think we needed more practice of option plays in live situations. But, full disclosure, these comments reflect more my impatience to see him bring it and less a cogent critique of the Shanahans.

[30gut]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

On the other hand, the more I see of the Redskins offense, the more I'm convinced that its just not all that different from either of the last two years.....But I feel like at 9 positions on the offense (everything except QB and LT), the Redskins aren't improved and in some cases have taken a step back.

I think the base offense will be the same.
But, judging by all the off-season training camp reports there are going to be some read option elements added to the offense.

I think removing Jammal Brown from the line-up is addition by subtraction.
Not that Polumbus is a world beater just that he's slightly better then Brown.
I think depth along the OL has improved.
I think WR is the area we've improved the most outside of QB.
A healthy Tana + Garcon imo is an improvement over an injured Moss and Gaffney.
Briscoe and Morgan improve the depth and provide some bigger targets and
whatever Hankerson can bring is a bonus.

I think the running game has taken a step back due to injury.
I think Helu was the most complete back on the roster and he might be out of action for awhile losing him was a huge loss.
I like Royster too but he's also banged up with a knee.
THT is coming off a knee.
We enter the season with only 1 100% healthy RB.

I agree that the offenses pieces haven't improved by much outside of QB.
But, the improvement an elite QB prospect can provide is huge.