AP Article: Redskins offense back to square one!

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by Slingin Sammy 33

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.

You bring up some very good points here. Sometimes the truth hurts. Perhaps our guys just aren't as good as advertised. But I need to see our skill guys get more chances. Lloyd needs to get more balls thrown to him. I know he is probably a bum. But at least give him 4-5 balls a game downfield, instead of the screens.

I didn't see us try and get Santana the ball at all downfield against NE. When Dallas played NE Witten was killing Harrison. Is Witten that much better than Cooley? Yet I didn't see any effort to get Cooley the ball downfield until it was too late.

I think the #1 priority for this team next off season is a big 6'4 red zone threat that draws coverage to his side of the field like Randy Moss does. We just can't score points. Perhaps someone like that can open up everything for the other players.

[Slingin Sammy 33]

Originally Posted by skinsfan69

I think the #1 priority for this team next off season is a big 6'4 red zone threat that draws coverage to his side of the field like Randy Moss does. We just can't score points. Perhaps someone like that can open up everything for the other players.

Agreed 100%.
We need physical threats at WR, not just a couple of guys who only run fast, because you can always play with help over the top. If the speed-burners don't run particularly good routes, go over the middle well, or have great hands they are fairly easy to defend.