Smoot Lays the Smack Down (Redskins vs Cowboys)

[SmootSmack]

6-4, following a 6-2 start, not where we want to be but not a terrible position to be in either. The one thing we knew with Gibbs' teams is he know how to get them to play down the stretch, we don't know that about Zorn. We're playing in a fierce division where every game counts. We're now 2-2 in the division. Credit to the Cowboys for doing what they remarkably failed to do last time these two teams met, put the game in Barber's hands.

Ok, let's get to it

Offensive Line I wouldn't be surprised to see a near clean sweep of the line starting next year with Geisinger, Rinehart, and Heyer in for Rabach, Kendall, and Jansen. The Cowboys' D Line is good, let's not forget that, but we can't be that bad, can we? What I'm most worried about, and if it is the case then it's actually completely understandable, is that Bugel's heart and mind just aren't on football at all anymore. And without the leadership and guidance he's always offered to the line they seem lost. I think Buges is gone after this season.

Andre Carter I was your biggest fan on this site, before you even signed with the team and last year you proved me right. But this year? I don't know man, you're just not getting it done.

Jim Zorn Look, I don't want to fall in to this trap everyone else seems to be and forget that you're a rookie NFL head coach. So I want to cut you some slack, but I think maybe you forget you're a rookie head coach and you're trying to fool people when you're only fooling yourself. You've done great things but it also boggles my mind how you operate sometimes. That play on 4th and 4? What was that? First, the decision to even go for it and then the actual playcall? Plus our two minute offense is pretty weak.

All that said, I think I'm starting to understand what your gameplan for year one was, focus on taking Campbell to the next level. I think you've done a good job getting him there, now you have to help him even more by getting other guys up to speed. I'm not going to sit here and call Thomas, Kelly, and Davis busts because obviously they're not. Halfway through their rookie year and people want to call them busts? If they're the same three years from now that's fine but don't call them busts quite yet. However, we need to start getting them more involved.

People who start threads complaining about Sharpe, Marino, etc. having no respect for the team and then that same person saying the game is over with the Redskins down just 4 with nearly 8 minutes left to play Seriously? You start a whiny thread about how no one loves us and then you give up. Maybe before you start asking others to respect the team, you should too. Let's not forget we've come from behind plenty this year.

Cowboys Fans Sandtrapjack, etc. Another mod may override me, but I'm telling you right now I don't want to hear from you all week. You didn't have the balls to show up on this site after the first game so don't come gloating now because I will ban you for a week. This is one of those times I will freely flex my mod muscle for my own gain.

Fred Smoot Lovely tackle early on TO when you flipped him over. After that you look overwhelmed. Are you hurt? Because you and AC look like you're playing at 33 RPM while the rest of the players out there are at 45 RPM (anyone still have vinyl records by the way?)

All in all a tough loss. And now, per my usual ritual, I won't be watching ESPN all week. I never watch ESPN after a loss until we win again. As you can imagine, it's especially challenging for me.

[jamf]

Jason Taylor had one pressure the whole game. Unacceptable. I understand his problem with stopping the run but If he can't get pressure, we might as well put in a guy who can stop the run.

[DynamiteRave]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

6-4, following a 6-2 start, not where we want to be but not a terrible position to be in either. The one thing we knew with Gibbs' teams is he know how to get them to play down the stretch, we don't know that about Zorn. We're playing in a fierce division where every game counts. We're now 2-2 in the division. Credit to the Cowboys for doing what they remarkably failed to do last time these two teams met, put the game in Barber's hands.

Ok, let's get to it

Offensive Line I wouldn't be surprised to see a near clean sweep of the line starting next year with Geisinger, Rinehart, and Heyer in for Rabach, Kendall, and Jansen. The Cowboys' D Line is good, let's not forget that, but we can't be that bad, can we? What I'm most worried about, and if it is the case then it's actually completely understandable, is that Bugel's heart and mind just aren't on football at all anymore. And without the leadership and guidance he's always offered to the line they seem lost. I think Buges is gone after this season.

Andre Carter I was your biggest fan on this site, before you even signed with the team and last year you proved me right. But this year? I don't know man, you're just not getting it done.

Jim Zorn Look, I don't want to fall in to this trap everyone else seems to be and forget that you're a rookie NFL head coach. So I want to cut you some slack, but I think maybe you forget you're a rookie head coach and you're trying to fool people when you're only fooling yourself. You've done great things but it also boggles my mind how you operate sometimes. That play on 4th and 4? What was that? First, the decision to even go for it and then the actual playcall? Plus our two minute offense is pretty weak.

All that said, I think I'm starting to understand what your gameplan for year one was, focus on taking Campbell to the next level. I think you've done a good job getting him there, now you have to help him even more by getting other guys up to speed. I'm not going to sit here and call Thomas, Kelly, and Davis busts because obviously they're not. Halfway through their rookie year and people want to call them busts? If they're the same three years from now that's fine but don't call them busts quite yet. However, we need to start getting them more involved.

People who start threads complaining about Sharpe, Marino, etc. having no respect for the team and then that same person saying the game is over with the Redskins down just 4 with nearly 8 minutes left to play Seriously? You start a whiny thread about how no one loves us and then you give up. Maybe before you start asking others to respect the team, you should too. Let's not forget we've come from behind plenty this year.

Cowboys Fans Sandtrapjack, etc. Another mod may override me, but I'm telling you right now I don't want to hear from you all week. You didn't have the balls to show up on this site after the first game so don't come gloating now because I will ban you for a week. This is one of those times I will freely flex my mod muscle for my own gain.

Fred Smoot Lovely tackle early on TO when you flipped him over. After that you look overwhelmed. Are you hurt? Because you and AC look like you're playing at 33 RPM while the rest of the players out there are at 45 RPM (anyone still have vinyl records by the way?)

All in all a tough loss. And now, per my usual ritual, I won't be watching ESPN all week. I never watch ESPN after a loss until we win again. As you can imagine, it's especially challenging for me.

SmootSmack wins: Brutality. Flawless Victory.

Btw, why won't you watch ESPN?

[mooby]

Definitely agree about the offensive line. When Ratliff wasn't beating Rabach, he was beating Thomas. And Samuels isn't the same player when he's injured, he was having his fair share to overcome all night too. I think it's clear that the offense is what's holding the team back right now. We waste good defensive efforts and it looks like JC isn't trusting the rest of the offense the way he used to simply because he's afraid of getting sacked.

And I'm not on the draft pick busts train yet, but I too feel that they should at least be making a minimal impact. Davis and Kelly don't even see the field and it seems Devin Thomas can only run 5 yard curls when he's on the field. I'm not asking them to be DeSean Jackson or Eddie Royal but a minimal impact would be nice.

[Beemnseven]

"That play on 4th and 4? What was that? First, the decision to even go for it and then the actual playcall?"

Yes. If you have to call a timeout to find out whether or not you want to go for it on 4th down, you better have something really ingenious cooked up.

Don't all coaches have a killer play for 4th and 3-5?

Portis was wide open underneath on that play by the way, but Campbell was zeroed in on Moss who had no chance for the first down marker anyway.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by DynamiteRave

SmootSmack wins: Brutality. Flawless Victory.

Btw, why won't you watch ESPN?

I don't know. I just need a reprieve from all the football talk (other than here of course), and then have people on air revert to old "standbys" like "Danny is a meddler. He wants to buy a Super Bowl" And then I have see these same people in the cafeteria.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Bottom line is there's nothing that can be done but wait for the next game. So I'd rather just wait for it, without having to be reminded constantly about the last loss.

[The Goat]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

I don't know. I just need a reprieve from all the football talk (other than here of course), and then have people on air revert to old "standbys" like "Danny is a meddler. He wants to buy a Super Bowl" And then I have see these same people in the cafeteria.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Bottom line is there's nothing that can be done but wait for the next game. So I'd rather just wait for it, without having to be reminded constantly about the last loss.

Huh? Cafeteria? What people?

[53Fan]

I agree with about everything you said SmootSmack. The thing with Buges has been on my mind the last 2-3 games. He is so revered, rightfully so, I hesitated to say anything but I think you may be right. He is a great coach but I cannot imagine anyone being fully focused on football after what he's been through. I think with Gibbs gone and the death of his daughter, a lot of joy has been taken from him. God bless him.

[mooby]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

I don't know. I just need a reprieve from all the football talk (other than here of course), and then have people on air revert to old "standbys" like "Danny is a meddler. He wants to buy a Super Bowl" And then I have see these same people in the cafeteria.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Bottom line is there's nothing that can be done but wait for the next game. So I'd rather just wait for it, without having to be reminded constantly about the last loss.

Ugh, I hate hearing that too. I heard it last week when they were saying,"The Redskins signing DeAngelo Hall only proved one thing, that Dan Snyder loves bringing in the big name."

And that's a big reason as to why I don't even bother watching ESPN's NFL coverage anymore.

[prinzeofmoval]

Originally Posted by DynamiteRave

SmootSmack wins: Brutality. Flawless Victory.

Btw, why won't you watch ESPN?

Because they're fair weather analyst..When we win they praise when we lose well it figures or we dont match up..Yet these are the same analyst whom jock the eagles..the same eagles team who tied the Bungels

[SmootSmack]

Look, even when the guys on ESPN (or any other network) are saying positive things about the Redskins, I just don't care to listen to it when all I'm doing is waiting for next week's game...which I hope is a merciless blowout of the Seahawks.

Instead I'll just subject myself to another week of "Whither the GOP now?"

[SouperMeister]

Originally Posted by Beemnseven

"That play on 4th and 4? What was that? First, the decision to even go for it and then the actual playcall?"

Yes. If you have to call a timeout to find out whether or not you want to go for it on 4th down, you better have something really ingenious cooked up.

Don't all coaches have a killer play for 4th and 3-5?

Portis was wide open underneath on that play by the way, but Campbell was zeroed in on Moss who had no chance for the first down marker anyway.

Agreed. Campbell had tunnel vision on Moss for too long and that ruined the play. Moss had ZERO chance of converting. Portis would have been a difficult touch pass, because he was only about 2 yards clear of the D-linemen, but I would have liked Campbell to look somewhere other than Moss

[JWsleep]

I think it was not a bad call to go for it on 4th down. The cowboys got the ball back and we couldn't stop them. Why think we would have stopped them from the 20?

As for the play--hard to say (outside of the obvious fact that it failed). JC did not throw right away. He got pressure up the middle. Then he went to Moss and it was too late. Zorn said that the play was designed to Santana, but that JC should have come off of him after the initial pressure. Not sure what the other options were or if they were open. But again the lack of pass pro disrupted things, which is a problem in a timing/rhythm offense.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Andre Carter I was your biggest fan on this site, before you even signed with the team and last year you proved me right. But this year? I don't know man, you're just not getting it done.

The only difference between Carter last year and Carter this year is that those sacks are becoming pressures in which the QB can get rid of the ball. This is because:

1) No pressure from non-Carter DL players allows QBs to slide away from Carter's pressure.

2) Man coverage schemes that allow the Quarterback to pick out where they are going with the ball presnap and throw it there when they feel pressure.

Carter's sack totals are down, but we can't confuse that with him being ineffective. We've gotten a lot of pressure on Quarterbacks and that's mostly his doing. I agree that he did not do a whole lot tonight.

[dmek25]

i was at the game. Carter was doubled alot. its Taylor, and the rest of the crew that are totally not getting anything done. the 2 biggest problems are the o line, who keeps getting pushed around. and Smoot. he simply cannot cover in man to man. and for the first time, Zorn looked alittle shaky. that challenge was down right brutal. the use of timeouts at the end of the first half. and the play calling