I must have missed yesterday's game...

[sportscurmudgeon]

After reading all the comments here blaming Suisham and/or Zorn and/or the playcalling and/or the football gods for yesterday's loss to the Cowboys, I think I watched a different game.

In the game I saw, the sputtering Redskins offense had a 6-0 lead in the game with about 5 or 6 minutes left to play. The reason the Redskins lost the game is stunningly similar to the reason the Redskins have lost several games in the last two years:

In the 4th quarter when the team MUST HAVE a defensive stand (three-and-out or a turnover to get the ball back) what the team gets is a drive by the opposition resulting in a score.

Yardage allowed stats are for losers. What matters is making the defensive stop when the team absolutely, positively has to have one. And the Skins' defense the last couple of years simply has NOT done that.

I do not keep notes on play-by-play as I watch the games, but in the final drive when the game was on the line, I believe the only negative play for the Cowboys was a false start penalty. I don't recall the Cowboys facing a 3rd down situation; if they did, it was certainly not 3rd-and-long. When it mattered, the defense came up small.

Granted, if either or both of the missed field goals is good, the Skins win. But the Redskins still had the game in hand or - to use a tennis term - on their racket with 5 or 6 minutes left in the game.

That was the game that came through on my cable system...

[mlmdub130]

when the o can't score you can't expect much more from the d, yeah they gave up that drive and one in the begining of the game but for them to only allow 7 points the o has to show some balls and put some points on the board

[sportscurmudgeon]

The offense was pathetic yesterday - - and has been for much of the season. That does not let the defense off the hook - - again because they have done this before - - for allowing the decisive score to happen at/near for end of the fourth quarter.


If the defense is nearly as "elite" as folks want to make them out to be, they have to make the big stops when it matters and not just big hits in the second quarters of the games.

[Chico23231]

Its like what Troy Aikemen and Joe Buck said, Skins should be destroying them. But when your Offense is bottom 3 in the league this is what happens. You cant put this on the D, that is laughable. I agree with London Fletcher and Coach Gray, you must win the game if you only allow 7 points on the road regardless of who your playing. No excuses, are offense is horrible and everyone is accountable.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by sportscurmudgeon

The offense was pathetic yesterday - - and has been for much of the season. That does not let the defense off the hook - - again because they have done this before - - for allowing the decisive score to happen at/near for end of the fourth quarter.


If the defense is nearly as "elite" as folks want to make them out to be, they have to make the big stops when it matters and not just big hits in the second quarters of the games.

You really think the D lost this game? The D made all but one stop and allowed 7 points and that wins 99.9999999999999% of all games in the NFL. Any coach from pop w. to the NFL would take that all day long. SS and the O lost the game.

[freddyg12]

On one hand I see where SC is comin from, I've said it a # of times over the past couple years that our D is not that good. We lost a lot of games last year when the D couldn't close the deal, though I know they were on the field a long time.

This year they have been inconsistent, but yesterday they played a hell of a game. Even though they gave up a lot of rush yrds. early on, they adjusted & shut dallas down. I think they were worn out at the end & romo took advantage. Even on the td play, the coverage was great & Carter nearly makes a sack. Chalk that up to the other team being better.

If you wanted a big play to win the game, look at the Fletcher interception. That was on 4th down & if the O could've at least got one more first down & gotten SS closer than 50, maybe it's a different story. (btw, I hated that 3rd & 2 call, they were blitzing up the gut all day)

[Lotus]

Did the defense allow a late score when we needed a stop...again? Yes.

But otherwise the defense pitched a shutout. It is difficult to criticize an NFL defense for not pitching a shutout.

[mlmdub130]

i missed this yesterday, if you can't tackle hester pull his pants off

YouTube - Equipment Malfunction - Eagles pants Bears

[CRedskinsRule]

Originally Posted by Lotus

Did the defense allow a late score when we needed a stop...again? Yes.

But otherwise the defense pitched a shutout. It is difficult to criticize an NFL defense for not pitching a shutout.

When Suisham missed the last field goal, did ANYONE believe the d was going to hold. I didn't. Anyone who knows the Skins D knew they were going to give up a TD. In fact I will go a step further. I fully believe had the O scored a TD in the late 3rd, or 4th qtr, The next Cowboy drive would have been a TD. Our D is solid, but 2 things it cannot do:

1) pitch a shutout, against anyone, ever
2) score a defensive point.

[JLee9718]

I feel sick because I hate the Cowboys. Sherm Lewis isn't working out, but neither was Zorn, and I was so enthusiastic over the Zorn hiring at first, especially after the 6-2 start last year. I give up the ship even faster than Snyder. And if Portis had played, the Redskins wouldn't have even scored the 6 points. I finally saw a Redskins running back make it beyond 1 yard past the line of scrimmage.

[Daseal]

Yeah, sorry SC -- not buying this one. The D looked bad on that last drive, but allowing 7 isn't exactly what I'd call a bad performance. We've been running with the bend dont break mentality for a while here in DC -- it has mainly worked. The biggest issue I had on the D side was McIntosh dropping that pick and possibly pick 6.

I blame the offense completely for this, and most, losses. Typically our D keeps the opponent under an average NFL score. If we had an average offense we'd win a lot more than we lose.

[Bushead]

Originally Posted by sportscurmudgeon

After reading all the comments here blaming Suisham and/or Zorn and/or the playcalling and/or the football gods for yesterday's loss to the Cowboys, I think I watched a different game.

In the game I saw, the sputtering Redskins offense had a 6-0 lead in the game with about 5 or 6 minutes left to play. The reason the Redskins lost the game is stunningly similar to the reason the Redskins have lost several games in the last two years:

In the 4th quarter when the team MUST HAVE a defensive stand (three-and-out or a turnover to get the ball back) what the team gets is a drive by the opposition resulting in a score.

Yardage allowed stats are for losers. What matters is making the defensive stop when the team absolutely, positively has to have one. And the Skins' defense the last couple of years simply has NOT done that.

I do not keep notes on play-by-play as I watch the games, but in the final drive when the game was on the line, I believe the only negative play for the Cowboys was a false start penalty. I don't recall the Cowboys facing a 3rd down situation; if they did, it was certainly not 3rd-and-long. When it mattered, the defense came up small.

Granted, if either or both of the missed field goals is good, the Skins win. But the Redskins still had the game in hand or - to use a tennis term - on their racket with 5 or 6 minutes left in the game.

That was the game that came through on my cable system...

I have to completely and utterly disagree with you. I cannot believe anyone can even REMOTELY have this kind of opinion. The only reason the defense is in a position to make a stop is because the defense is the only good thing on this team.

I tell you that a team is going to only score 6 points this weekend. Would you expect them to win or lose? To even further the point, if I told you that the opposing team was only going to score 7 points for any match up you want, would you think that team would win or lose? In the first example, the team isn't going to win, and the second is they would. I'm not saying the Redskins team only lets people score 7 points in every game, what I'm saying is the defense is doing a spectacular job in not allowing offenses to put multiple touchdowns on the board. They held an offense for 58 minutes that can be highly explosive. AND AFTER ALL THIS, IT'S JUST SEVEN POINTS.

I know the defense has let us down on a few times this year (thinking of Carolina and Jake here) but I can think when they practically won the Bucs game. It confuses the hell out of me to make that point at the defense. 7 points is NOTHING to every offense in the NFL except the bottom 3 teams, which the redskins are.

If you can blame the defense this year for being the cause of the problems when they make turnovers and only get field goals, when they sack and get good field position for a 3 and out, and when they have to always play more time than the offense, then so be it. But, I would like to say that is not possible.

Our offense can't score 2 touchdowns a game consistently, and with that kind of output, you just aren't going to win games. To say that the defense should expect never break down for even one touchdown a game in today's NFL is ridiculous.

[CRedskinsRule]

Let's remember that Green Bay's soso D also held the allpowerful cowboys to 7. They are struggling and our "elite" could have made a statement game with one final defensive stand, and did they no. did anyone expect them to? no(well DRave did, but she was loopy at that time anyway ) Should we expect our "elite" d to be able to seal a victory when it's just one drive? yes. Remember, our o did do a good job of using the clock, as did dallas'. this was not a long game for the d, and one batted ball, interception, etc and that game probably ends in our favor.

Meh, the team isn't who I thought they were.

[Trample the Elderly]

Originally Posted by sportscurmudgeon

After reading all the comments here blaming Suisham and/or Zorn and/or the playcalling and/or the football gods for yesterday's loss to the Cowboys, I think I watched a different game.

In the game I saw, the sputtering Redskins offense had a 6-0 lead in the game with about 5 or 6 minutes left to play. The reason the Redskins lost the game is stunningly similar to the reason the Redskins have lost several games in the last two years:

In the 4th quarter when the team MUST HAVE a defensive stand (three-and-out or a turnover to get the ball back) what the team gets is a drive by the opposition resulting in a score.

Yardage allowed stats are for losers. What matters is making the defensive stop when the team absolutely, positively has to have one. And the Skins' defense the last couple of years simply has NOT done that.

I do not keep notes on play-by-play as I watch the games, but in the final drive when the game was on the line, I believe the only negative play for the Cowboys was a false start penalty. I don't recall the Cowboys facing a 3rd down situation; if they did, it was certainly not 3rd-and-long. When it mattered, the defense came up small.

Granted, if either or both of the missed field goals is good, the Skins win. But the Redskins still had the game in hand or - to use a tennis term - on their racket with 5 or 6 minutes left in the game.

That was the game that came through on my cable system...

What the hell are you talking about? How many football teams win with 2 effing field goals? You want to pin that on the D?

[53Fan]

Not that it matters, but ESPN just showed that Dallas had an ineligible receiver downfield on the TD pass and the officials didn't catch it. I don't blame our loss on that, it's just typical, that's all.