Lets keep things into perspective and not panic people!

[sportscurmudgeon]

The Bleeping Rams beat the Skins by 2 TDs and dominated the second half of the game and the way that all of this will be turned around is to re-sign Brandon Banks? It took me at least 10 seconds to be able to get my jaw back up off the floor after that...

Folks, the reason everyone seems to be so outraged today is that the expecations for this team were unrealisticly high to begin with.

Mike Shanahan is a good football coach - - but he does not have a magic wand.

Jim Haslett is a defensive coordinator who has had some good defenses and some bad defenses - - depending on the talent he had to coach on those defenses. This year, he has middling talent; it is not the worst in the league by a longshot; it surely is not near the best either.

Remember when Bill Clinton ran for Pres in 1992? His advisors kept reminding everyone in the campaign, "It's the economy, stupid."

Let me remind: "It's the talent, stupid."

The Redskins are not "talent-rich". Nonwetheless, they have more talent than the Rams and they should beat teams like the Rams on the basis of superior talent; so there is something else going on there. My personal hypothesis - - which I cannot prove - - is that the veteran Redskins players have lived in a pampered environment long enough to believe that all they have to do is show up against an "inferior" opponent and the "inferior" opponent will quiver in fear. Sadly, that usually does not happen...

This team will be in the upper echelons only after they purge the players who play inferior teams by mailing it in and replacing them with solid draftees and free agent signings of football players - - not guys with stats who want to be paid. The Redskins have signed a ton of the latter and rarely do they ever work out here in the pampered envrioment that leads them to believe they really are as great as they think they are.

[Ruhskins]

Originally Posted by sportscurmudgeon

Jim Haslett is a defensive coordinator who has had some good defenses and some bad defenses - - depending on the talent he had to coach on those defenses. This year, he has middling talent; it is not the worst in the league by a longshot; it surely is not near the best either.

I agree with what you had to say, however this is the part that really gets to me (about this whole situation, and not what you had to say). I feel that the team put themselves in a situation where the defense has no talent, because of the change of defensive scheme.

Right now it seems that the only player that has benefited from the 3-4 switch has been Orakpo (and you can add Lorezo Alexander).

In our 4-3 defense we had a really good DE in Carter, and I'm sure Orakpo would be just as (if not more) dominant if they played him at DE. You throw in Haynesworth in shape and playing his natural position (and Golston as the other DT) you have a monster D-Line in our 4-3.

Among LBs, Fletcher was a tackling machine and played the MLB position (in the 4-3) better than many in the league. I just don't feel he is having the same impact. Rocky has been better in the 3-4, but was a pretty good LB in the 4-3. We needed an SLB in the 4-3, and honestly that probably would have been our only major need in defense.

Laron Landry played out of position in our 4-3, and his play now has improved mainly due to that move to SS.

I'm not saying that I want Blache back, but I just feel that the team really shot itself in the foot by moving to the 3-4 when it really wasn't needed. If we had gotten a new DC (Jerry Gray or lure Mike Zimmer from Cincy as it was rumored). Our defense could have picked up where they left off and along the way try to improve on those issues they had, instead we are now learning a brand new scheme.

This reminds me a lot of the team that went 10-6 under Gibbs 2.0 and then for the next season he decided to bring in a brand new offensive system (Saunders) and we went 5-11 or 4-12 the next season. If it ain't broke (or that broke) don't fix it.

[JWsleep]

Originally Posted by sportscurmudgeon

The Bleeping Rams beat the Skins by 2 TDs and dominated the second half of the game and the way that all of this will be turned around is to re-sign Brandon Banks? It took me at least 10 seconds to be able to get my jaw back up off the floor after that...

Folks, the reason everyone seems to be so outraged today is that the expecations for this team were unrealisticly high to begin with.

Mike Shanahan is a good football coach - - but he does not have a magic wand.

Jim Haslett is a defensive coordinator who has had some good defenses and some bad defenses - - depending on the talent he had to coach on those defenses. This year, he has middling talent; it is not the worst in the league by a longshot; it surely is not near the best either.

Remember when Bill Clinton ran for Pres in 1992? His advisors kept reminding everyone in the campaign, "It's the economy, stupid."

Let me remind: "It's the talent, stupid."

The Redskins are not "talent-rich". Nonwetheless, they have more talent than the Rams and they should beat teams like the Rams on the basis of superior talent; so there is something else going on there. My personal hypothesis - - which I cannot prove - - is that the veteran Redskins players have lived in a pampered environment long enough to believe that all they have to do is show up against an "inferior" opponent and the "inferior" opponent will quiver in fear. Sadly, that usually does not happen...

This team will be in the upper echelons only after they purge the players who play inferior teams by mailing it in and replacing them with solid draftees and free agent signings of football players - - not guys with stats who want to be paid. The Redskins have signed a ton of the latter and rarely do they ever work out here in the pampered envrioment that leads them to believe they really are as great as they think they are.

Yup. Well put. It takes a while to change the culture of a place. I do think Shanny is a tough enough SOB to clean house, and my hope is Allen keeps Danny in his place. But until this happens, we're just not going to be that good.

[theJBexperience]

Here's some new perspective. I still say "Panic! We stink." But here's some new perspective to consider. Last year, McNabb's Iggles went into Oakland and laid an egg, losing 9-13, and they still made it to the playoffs. Judging from that game, you'd think they stunk. Maybe, the same can be said for what happened yesterday.

[TheSmurfs22]

Folks, the reason everyone seems to be so outraged today is that the expecations for this team were unrealisticly high to begin with.

Mike Shanahan is a good football coach - - but he does not have a magic wand.



Let me remind: "It's the talent, stupid."
~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes to all of your comments. Curmudgeon. So well said!