Why Brunell is Struggling

[Daseal]

Tafkas and I are a tag team. I have the leg of a healthy Shane Lechler, and Tafkas has the long snapping ability of Ethan Albright (BTW, Tafkas. Fucked up what madden did to you!)

[RedskinRat]

Shane 'Hannibal' Lechler?

[That Guy]

Originally Posted by BDBohnzie

In 2000 (Green's first season for the Rams as starter), Marshall Faulk had 81 receptions for 830 yards. 6 of those 81 were 20+, 2 of those were 40+, and he had 42 first downs. Which would lead me to believe that around half of his receptions were less than 10 yards.

(Here are the stats from the 2000 Rams)

As you said, Trent Green's first season in Saunders' offense, he struggled, and I would expect any QB who is going from one system to Saunders to struggle.

However, I think Brunell's struggles stem from the fact that he's honed in on Santana and Cooley moreso than anyone else, and doesn't feel comfortable spreading the ball around.

saunder's didn't run the rams offense (WR coach is NOT an OC, and he didn't call the plays). martz did (with help from vermeil, btw). trent green's stats from 2000 are for martz.

[BDBohnzie]

Right, that was in response to the amount of dumpoffs in the 2000 season.

The next season, 2001, when Vermeil cried his way to Kansas City, he took Saunders and made him O Coordinator, and then got Trent Green...so 2001 was Green's first season in Saunders' offense. I should have been more precise, but got lazy and hit submit before reading it over for the 903rd time

[offiss]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

Yeah but in the end it has the same result if not worse. He takes far too many sacks and doesn't look for a dumpoff at all, or he forces the issue and throws a horrible pick.

Brunell either dumps it off or throws it away. At least he doesn't force the issue or take too many sacks.

I'm not saying either way is particularly effective, but sacks and turnovers are the quickest way to the bench as we've seen.

Part of that has to do with what the coaches expect from them, Joe has no problem if Brunell throws the ball away 70% of the time so long as he doesn't throw an INT, as for Parcells he doesn't want the INT's obviously, but he also wants him to make plays and thats where the INT's come from, Bledsoe knows he has a problem with Parcells if he's not making plays, Brunell has a nice comfort zone knowing Gibbs is happy if we don't turn the ball over. I think, or know that Gibbs believes he can win if the QB just doesn't lose the game, rather than having him try to win the game. That may have worked a bit back in the day but in order to do that now you better have a phenomanol defense and a great running game we have neither right now. Gibbs had the luxory to do what ever he wanted back in the 80's because his O-line dominated most defensive lines, he no longer has that advantage and hasen't figured out how to over come an even playing field. Gibbs is playing a game a chess right now and he's trying to win without useing his quenn.

Bottom line neither QB is overly bright when it comes to figuring out defenses and they never were, Brunell was a playmaker much like Vick except he was a little better passer and a little slower. where as Bledsoe always had a million dollar arm and a ten cent brain. I was shocked that Parcells stuck with him this long.

[memphisskin]

The reasons why MB are struggling are of no real interest to me, I'm just glad that they have a plan to address it. I'll believe it when I see it, because like Mike Tyson used to say "Everyone has a plan until they get hit." And MB seems very reluctant to take hits these days, which is not a good fit because sometimes it looks like the offensive line is trying to get him taken out. Kinda like Parcells calling that qb run for Bledsoe from the 7 on MNF. No one can ever convince me that Parcells wasn't trying to get Bledsoe maimed on that play. And I like him for it.

Gibbs' emphasis on protecting the ball and not turning the ball over leads to MB checking down and throwing balls in the dirt. I don't think JG meant for Brunell not to ever challenge defenses, or to set a record for 3 and outs, but that's how MB has interpreted it this season. Good strategy, cuz MB's job is safe as long as he's not turning the ball over.

[JWsleep]

Good stuff. I completely agree with the sentiment that if it takes this long to learn to offense, GET CAMPBELL IN THERE NOW! On that note, the comment that he's taking snaps is significant--Gibbs usually only lets starters take snaps... we can only dream.

Guess Gibbs didn't think it would take MB a year to learn the offense, becuase he's "super smart". Ugh.

[dmek25]

if it takes a few sacks in return for throwing the ball deep, then so be it.

[illdefined]

Originally Posted by offiss

Gibbs is playing a game a chess right now and he's trying to win without useing his queen.

love it offiss. great analogy.

in Gibbs' defense, i completely understand why Gibbs decided to start Brunell this season, he figured with that defense, more of the same from last year (Brunell playing custodian) would get us some early wins. still, NO ONE could've predicted our defense was going to be *this* bad. completely night and day.

with the way the defense turned out, and the now obvious troubles Brunell has had with the new system, he's in a billion dollar pickle.

tough situation, but hell that's the job. Parcells yanked his boy when things didn't go to plan, and he's one of the very select few coaches Gibbs could actually call a peer..

[SmootSmack]

I think early next week the Redskins move Campbell up to #2. Then on Sunday Brunell gets the start, and after a series or two regardless of how he's doing Campbell comes in. That's my off the wall prediction and I'm sticking to it

[Pocket$ $traight]

I know why.

He was done when we traded for him and until he was hit in the knee by New York, he was having an out of body experience.

He is a nice guy but he shouldn't be starting for any NFL team.

[offiss]

Excuses one after another for Brunell, now it's the old he's still learning a new offense, and big time todd collins is confirming that, the QB who hasen't seen the light of day in 7 years. Yes it's true it may take a QB a full year to learn the entire offense, but that is only getting familar with the plays, throwing to spots is something any real QB should know before he's out of high school, it's called anticipation, it also required the ability to read and understand not only what your own WR is going to do [ which shouldn't be a problem with a little practice ] but knowing how the defense is going to react, Brunell never had the QB smarts to understand either, his career has been a basic game plan if it's there throw it if not run until something opens up, which works to an extent, but rarely does it win championships. There is a reason Tom Coughlin wanted to trade Brunell when he was with the Jags, he didn't believe he could win with him at least not at a championship level, which lead to TC's departure.

Now here's is the most ridiculous problem, if in fact it takes a full year to really learn this offense, and Brunell is really a genious at QB and just needs to familarize himself with this new offense, Why on earth would we draft Campbell last year to sit on the bench for the next 3 to 4 years? Knowing that this season is basically a learning period for Brunell so that next season we can send a 37 year old QB out there and hope he wins it all, because if he doesn't we are then saddled with a 38 year old who will be playing out his farewell tour. Either you draft Campbell and commit to him and bring in a new O-coordinator, or you commit to Brunell and leave things as they were.

No matter how you look at it it doesn't make sense, so now we get this it will take a year for Brunell to learn HOW to play in this offense, then I guess it should take a year for Campbell to learn to play in this offense [and I don't mean a year on the sideline] if he can play at all. And if he can't we will be looking at the 2010 draft for a franchise QB to finally come in here and run Saunders offense.

Enough excuses already Brunell is horrible, and one giant mistake, Gibbs has to cut the cord with this guy and move on to the future in Campbell, if in fact he has a future?

[MTK]

Rivers sat for two full seasons before taking over in SD, so sitting isn't going to kill Campbell either.

I don't see why it's so hard to understand why the coaches may not consider Campbell to be ready. Coming out of Auburn he wasn't considered to be a guy ready to step in right away and it was generally understood that he was a bit green. Add in the fact that he's learning his 2nd offense in as many years and a complex one at that, I think it's reasonable to see why the staff doesn't want to go to him until the team is all but out of contention.

He will get his chance this year, but some people have been freaking out and wringing their hands over him not playing going back to last year.

Relax.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

I'm hoping we DO have a Rivers situation. I'd love to see him come in next year after Brunell (hopefully) retires and we don't have a drop off in play.

[ArtMonkDrillz]

Originally Posted by TheMalcolmConnection

I'm hoping we DO have a Rivers situation. I'd love to see him come in next year after Brunell (hopefully) retires and we don't have a drop off in play.

So what do you think would constitute a "drop off in play?"