What is the biggest difference between when we were 6-2 and now?

[Twilbert07]

The biggest difference has been Portis' string of 125+ yard games. When he had five in a a row we rolled. When defenses started to shut him down, it exposed Campbell as a little-better-than-average QB (and fourth-best QB in the NFC East alone). Add the injuries to the offensive line that halted Campbell's ability to have time to get the ball to Santana Moss, and the Skins' offense shut down.

[Jake2008]

IMO, the biggest difference is alot of people who thought we were better then we were just because of the 6-2 record are now coming back down to earth. Yes we were 6-2, but could have just as easily been 2-6. The games were close and we had some lucky breaks and weren't turning the ball over. People just had unrealistic expectations for this team. We made no real improvements over last years team that had to go on a serious winning streak to squeak into the playoffs. This year we have no Sean Taylor and we lost Daniels before the season started. Our lines are a year older and slower. There is no significant reason we would be better then last year and are actually worse with the lost players and age. Plus we have another new coach and system. I never understood why people thought we would be a serious contender this year.

[Joe Kidd]

Early in the year the offense wasn't turning the ball over, that's probably the biggest difference. Those tight wins would have easily went the other way with some turnovers.

[30gut]

Originally Posted by dmvskinzfan08

What changed? I think alot of it had to do with an array of things..

Great question, great thread. I've been watching the games and at times re-watching them. (Direct TV short-cuts)

1. Zorn didn't make adjustments to his offensive scheme and teams caught up with his philosophies.

Agree somewhat. Zorn didn't seem to make in game adjustments and made the wrong game plan choices. The things he did early in the season that were successful he got away from. I think teams caught up to the short passing game but only because he stopped spreading the field and stopped throwing deep.

2. We stopped running Portis.

Disagree.

I think a few times we got away from the run a little early. But, on the whole i think we ran the ball about the same. The difference is that in the losses we were trailing in the second half of the losses during the 6-2 run Portis got the bulk of his yards when we were leading in the 3rd & 4th qtrs and running the ball to close the games out.

Although one could argue that we should have started running the ball more when the skid began.

3. We faced top ranked defensive teams

Somewhat agree. Pitts, Giants and Ravens are the elite.
But, the Eagles, Cowboys and to a lesser extent the Cards were good defenses.

4. Playcalling was horrible as well as time management.

Somewhat agree.

The playcalling declined. Zorn got away from the shotgun and the spread 4/5 wide formations. I think this is a big part of the offenses decline. JC seems to see the field better and completed more intermediate passes with ease from those formations. But Zorn used the shotgun and 4/5 wide sets less and less and as those formations decreased so did the intermediate passing and thus the offense.

5. JC play dropped off..But how much of this had to do with the O-line, Offensive play calling, A coach preparing his team, WRs not getting open or Jason taking a step back.. I think its a little bit off all of this

Agree. I think the offensive line had a huge domino effect.

1) Pass-pro declines
1) JC gets hit alot
1) Zorn losses confidence in the offensive line gets away from 4/5 wide sets
2) The playcalling shifts almost entirely to a 3 step drop short passing game
2) The pressure gets in JC head effecting his accuracy-'phantom pressure'
3) Jason gets used to getting the ball out quick on 3 step drops
4) Teams notice this away and sit on the short routes
5) Receivers aren't open JC holds ball offense stalls....sack

6. Our lines (D-Line and O-line) were playing horrible. D-Line not getting any sacks.

Blache is a good coach but isn't very creative. A great DC finds away to get effective pressure.

The offensive line struggles really threw Zorn for a loop and he never found the right answer. I think the 3 step drop passing was the right idea, but teams began sitting on the 3-step drop passing game. And Zorn hasn't adjusted, never went back to spreading teams out/ using the shotgun. Zorn doesn't trust the pass-pro to give enough the time to throw deep, which would stop defenses from sitting on the slants and hitches. But he doesn't spread the field to make its easier to see the blitz and to read the coverage.
He doesn't move the pocket enough either.



I think JZ showed during the 6-2 start that he has the chops.
I think he needs more help. Zorn wore too many hats this season and i think this affected Zorn's ability to make the right adjustments. He needs more WCO knowledgeable staff members. Maybe a WR coach?/ Offensive line Coach? But certainly a WCO assistant/QB/.

thoughts?

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by 30gut

1) Pass-pro declines
1) JC gets hit alot
1) Zorn losses confidence in the offensive line gets away from 4/5 wide sets
2) The playcalling shifts almost entirely to a 3 step drop short passing game
2) The pressure gets in JC head effecting his accuracy-'phantom pressure'
3) Jason gets used to getting the ball out quick on 3 step drops
4) Teams notice this away and sit on the short routes
5) Receivers aren't open JC holds ball offense stalls....sack

I think the move to fewer receiver sets have less to do with the pass pro and more to do with Mike Sellers. The Redskins actually have progressed to more and more empty backfield sets of late, but it's tough to go four receivers, when you only have two receivers on the roster who can do anything.

Sellers has flat out earned more playing time. You take him off the field, and we're replacing him with a worse player, pure and simple.

[Hog1]

Originally Posted by texasskinsfan

I'll tell you what the big difference is, I'm no longer a Skins fan. I have been a fan of the Redskins for over 30 years and the last 15 or so I have waited and waited hoping things would get turned around. After yesterday I just flat refuse to continue to be a Skins fan anymore. No enough is finally enough. It's hard enough living in dallas cowgirl land and being a Skins fan. I thought about rooting for the cowgirls now but something deep inside of me wont let me do so. Now I'm going back to the Steelers who I left for the Skins for over 30 years ago. I do hope though that Zorn is given at least another year to try to turn things around and that they address the problems at OL, DL,DE positions but especially at OL and DE. Well it was a nice run in the 80's and early 90's but after the last 15 years I just can't do it anymore.
Peace Out
Former Texas Skins fan

See you about April or May for the annual WP bandwagon fest.
Hmmm, what has changed? Other than every dog ass sorry SOB team kickin' the shit out of the Fightin' Skins?
INJURIES. We were healthy, and all starters in.
Now, even the remaining starters are nicked up without quality depth

[Daseal]

1. Decimated by injuries on O-line and throughout the entire defense.

We just lost to a team with 20 players on IR. Can we not blame injuries?

[sportscurmudgeon]

MAYBE not much changed. MAYBE the Skins were never as good as their 6-2 record made them appear to be and MAYBE the Skins are not as bad as the recent run of 1-5 makes them appear to be.

They are a .500 team as of today and before the season started, most folks thought they would be a team to finish between 7-9 and 9-7.

[Hog1]

Originally Posted by sportscurmudgeon

MAYBE not much changed. MAYBE the Skins were never as good as their 6-2 record made them appear to be and MAYBE the Skins are not as bad as the recent run of 1-5 makes them appear to be.

They are a .500 team as of today and before the season started, most folks thought they would be a team to finish between 7-9 and 9-7.

I was pondering that same thing today. We are as predicted.......sadly

[jgalecpa]

Three big things I see:

1. Blocking


2. Blocking


3. Blocking

[GusFrerotte]

Portis is getting stuffed, lackluster playcalling, the O line is showing their age, the system in place(WCO) is not a good system to run in the NFC East.

[30gut]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

I think the move to fewer receiver sets have less to do with the pass pro and more to do with Mike Sellers. The Redskins actually have progressed to more and more empty backfield sets of late, but it's tough to go four receivers, when you only have two receivers on the roster who can do anything.

Sellers has flat out earned more playing time. You take him off the field, and we're replacing him with a worse player, pure and simple.

You might be right about Sellars being the reason for having fewer 4/5 receivers sets. But, regardless of the reason i think that the offense has declined the more we've gone away from them. If you go back and look at some the early highlights its JC throwing from singleback, empty and shotgun with 3/4/5 receivers. JC was hitting the slants and hitches back then because its easier to make pre-snap reads from when the defense is spread out. Despite the opinion of the receivers, those formations were effective. And they should be even more effective now with DT11 and MK12 and sleepy Davis starting to contribute.


NFL Video Galleries

NFL Video Galleries

i couldn't find it in the highlights but JC was hitting slants with ease from the 4 wide set, he even had a few to Thrash and one to Kelly

[30gut]

Originally Posted by GusFrerotte

Portis is getting stuffed, lackluster playcalling, the O line is showing their age, the system in place(WCO) is not a good system to run in the NFC East.

Um the Eagles?

[GTripp0012]

Run blocking has seriously declined, and we've fumbled a lot on offense. We can't get off the field on defense, although that's not a new problem. We've played tougher opponents, which explains the losses, but not the decline in play.

[schndr_tdd]

We are an old team that needs rebuilding to get younger,faster,stronger,wanting to prove something..