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Originally Posted by SBXVII
That's the same spin crap Zorn likes to give. Maybe it is maybe it isn't but for those who had ..."higher expectations"....they need to lower them a bit. Be honest with yourself...you actually believe that if they were executing well we would be SB material? be honest.....since when do SB WR's run more then one route that is shy of the first down? We run them all the time in hopes that the YAC will get us the first down. That's not something to rely on. It's ok to use once or twice in a game but as a WR you have to know where the 1st down marker is and get there...better yet go beyond maybe 3 yrds so there is no question when the WR is pushed back and the ref has to decide where you were at when stopped.
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With execution, I can honestly tell myself that this team is a Super Bowl contender. They have the talent to hang with the top teams in both conferences. However, what separates the men from the boys is execution. Being able to win the close games, and blow out those you are supposed to. The Redskins can't do that right now. As I said before, whatever excuse or reasoning there is, the execution just isn't there. As you pointed out, running short routes on 3rd down kills momentum and execution. However, just because they are running short routes now doesn't mean they will continue to do so. I think a lot of the routes also has to do with a short amount of time that Campbell has to get the ball to them...combine that "blame" on JC and the O-Line.
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Originally Posted by SBXVII
If your refering to those who are speaking negatively then I guess you are considering yourself in that group. You said prior to the season you expected 7 wins. Now the ones who had their hopes dashed are being called chicken littles.
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Chicken Littles refer to those who think the season is blown anytime something wrong happens. There is a reason this thread is up over 180 posts...because we all think something is wrong, and may not be fixed before season's end. Am I a Chicken Little? Perhaps. This is a 6-2 team that is now 7-5. The experts felt the first 5 games of the year would be the tough stretch, and after the Skins went 4-1, those experts were thinking great things for this ball club. However the next 7 games have been completely backwards from the first 5. The Skins allowed probably the 2 worst teams in the league to hang with or beat them, and they got roughed up by 2 of the top teams in the league, perhaps the 2 teams that meet in the Super Bowl. While there is a sense of urgency, it's not the end of the world.
Coming into the season, looking at the schedule, I figured 7 wins for this team, with a new head coach, a new offense, and some growing pains would be a successful year...even coming off a playoff year. They've hit that 7 win mark, and have 4 wins to prove to themselves whether they "want" to be a contender or not. To me, that's a successful year. 32 teams have to go back to the drawing board each year to figure out how to win the Lombardi Trophy (or keep it). There is some measured success in each team during the course of a non-SB season.
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Originally Posted by SBXVII
I almost wanted to believe your theory but I can't get past the Atlanta factor. Why are they better then us? Why are they so good at scoring points? is it the QB? WR?
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(Not sure if this was targeted at me or not...if not, I apologize for putting in my 2 cents) As far as the "Atlanta" factor goes, they are doing what it takes to win ball games. They have a decent defense that is bending (22nd in Total Defense) but not breaking (8th in Points Against with 20.2). And while Matt Ryan is enjoying success, it's Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood (2nd in Rush Offense) who are making it much easier for Ryan to find open receivers (White, Jenkins). While I'm not sure, I would bank that Mike Mularkey is keeping it very simple with the rookie, whereas Zorn has much higher expectations for Campbell.