AP Article: Redskins offense back to square one!

[Slingin Sammy 33]

Originally Posted by skinsfan69

No, they don't go hand in hand. Not anymore Joe. This is the 80's early 90 mentality. Gibbs is never ever going to adjust to today's NFL. When is this guy ever going to realize that it is a passing league now? The rules beg you to pass it. DB's can't even breathe on the WR's yet we don't have one single wr with a passing TD. You should be able to pass it with the guys you brought in here w/out having to run it all the time. Same old crap.

Many of the other responses have all provided great stats to back up the fact that the NFL is not just a "passing league".
Unfortunately we have a young QB and WRs who don't scare anyone, even if you spread the field out and come out in passing formations the defense can still cheat towards the run because our passing game isn't a threat. If you try to "air it out" unsuccessfully you will have a lot of "three and outs", you are not taking any time off the clock, or giving the defense any rest.
The NFL isn't just about being a "passing league", it is about scheming towards a team's strenghs and covering up the personnel weaknesses. The majority of NFL coaches are smart guys and work very hard, but at the NFL level it's mostly about talent and right now on offense our talent level is not very good. Our OL is injured and weak on the right side, our WRs are not very good, Portis is not looking good, Betts has not proven he is a "number one" back, Campbell is still basically a rookie and Cooley, while a top ten TE, isn't physically gifted like a Kellen Winslow, Antonio Gates or Tony Gonzalez, he cannot carry us.
So what should Joe Gibbs do, try to come out and throw the ball 70% of the time...OR...attempt to establish the run, work in some play action, manage the game, and rely on our solid defense and special teams to keep us in the game. I don't think it's a matter of the game passing Gibbs by, we just don't have the talent on offense.
You mentioned the Browns skill players not being better than ours in another post. I would take Braylon Edwards over any of our WRs, Jurevicous is a solid # 2, and Winslow is more of a physical threat than Cooley. How about some of the other skill players from teams you mentioned; Giants - Burress, Shockey, Toomer, Detroit - Calvin Johnson, Roy Williams, Seattle - WRs aren't scary, but Hasselbeck is a very solid veteran QB, GB - Driver & Jennings are getting it done and Favre is having his "last hurrah", Dallas - hurts to say it but their skill guys are better.
We just have to be realistic, we were 5-11 last year for a reason. To go to 8-8 or 9-7, while disappointing if we don't make the playoffs is a good improvement. If we make some solid personnel decisions in the off-season we are defintely going in the right direction.