3 things from a very optimisitc fan.

[JWsleep]

I disagree about the 4-4 worry--we can still make it happen (9-7, say) if we win at home against Dallas and NY, win in AZ, win in StL, and beat the Raiders. And I'm not so frightened by TB after this week. And the iggles certianly look mortal.

So, let's assume that yesterday's performance was a low point (you're optimistic, right?)--we'll certainly be competetive in these games. Maybe we can actually do this?

About the injuries, well, people are going to have to step up. Remember: Williams and Blache have made no-names look great before. And I think Gibbs and Co. can do the same. We'll have to see--that's why they play the games. But I, like you, am an optimist!

PS Clinton is not overated IMO. He needs good O-line play (like every back outside of Barry Sanders).

[Twilbert07]

Based on how many teams are 5-2 or 5-3 in the NFC, all a 9-7 finish would get us is another season without a playoff game. The NFC South has three teams that are 5-2.

[heybigstar]

About the injuries, well, people are going to have to step up. Remember: Williams and Blache have made no-names look great before. And I think Gibbs and Co. can do the same. We'll have to see--that's why they play the games. But I, like you, am an optimist!

PS Clinton is not overated IMO. He needs good O-line play (like every back outside of Barry Sanders).

The thing is, i dont think we have shown that we can sustain injuries to our O-line and still be effective. I hope Samuels is not hurt too bad.

Also, We shall see, Portis needs to make some amazing runs.

[Beemnseven]

Originally Posted by JWsleep

...About the injuries, well, people are going to have to step up. Remember: Williams and Blache have made no-names look great before ... PS Clinton is not overated IMO. He needs good O-line play (like every back outside of Barry Sanders).

Griffin, Noble and Salavea were the anchors of the D-line last year. Now, Noble's gone for the year and Griffin and Salavea both are hanging by a thread with their injuries. Year after year it's the same thing -- this front office ignores the defensive line outside of an occasional castoff veteran free agent pickup like Griffin, who just happened to have a brilliant season in ‘04. But when they did NOTHING to bolster the D-line or even attempt to add any sort of depth this season, it was only a matter of time before this run defense started to show some cracks. Now, the floodgates are open, and like someone else astutely pointed out earlier, this is not the type of team like the Pats or Eagles of a few years ago that suffers absolutely no dropoff when the backups come in. A guy like Cornelius Griffin gets banged up, and boom – the defensive line is in serious trouble. For Blache and Gregg Williams to make guys like Boschetti, Aki Jones, and Cedric Killings into the superstars the starting D-line was last year should get them nothing less than the Nobel Prize. But trust me, that’s not going to happen. Expect the run defense to get much worse before it gets better.

As far as Clinton Portis is concerned, I still maintain that the Skins got the raw end of the deal on that trade. Giving up Champ Bailey AND a second rounder for Portis has so far not proven to be the fortune-changing event for this team. To me, the results we’ve seen from Portis have been lackluster at best, and that’s with an offensive line that until yesterday, was shaping up to be counted among the best in the league. We’ve gotten about as much from Clinton Portis in terms of overall rushing capabilities and yard-per-carry averages that you would have seen from just about any other running back for way less of a salary cap hit –- and we’d have had last year’s second round pick to boot.

We're a 'middle of the pack' team at best, and this front office gets most of the blame for it.