01-03-2009, 08:34 PM | #46 | |
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Re: Our WRs in 2009... My Thoughts
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randle el isnt tradable |
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01-03-2009, 08:55 PM | #47 |
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Re: Our WRs in 2009... My Thoughts
I think the best teams are the ones who get the most out of what they've got (see Bill Parcells). Here's how I think the Skins can improve the passing game:
1) Move the pocket - If the O line is struggling, then move the pocket or get good at HB screens and other plays that negate a good pass rush, etc. Zorn should have called more bootlegs this season, including naked bootlegs on the goal line. Campbell is good at making tacklers miss once he gets going, so I don't know why he couldn't rush for more TDs. 2) More imaginative play calling - we've seen Portis and ARE be successful throwing the ball (remember the TD pass from ARE to Cooley against the Eagles) and other teams made effective use of the Wildcat formation all season long. Look at what the Ravens did all year and the Steelers used to do under Cowher. They were good for 2-3 "trick" plays every game, and we're effective running those plays because it was part of their identity. 3) Get the backs involved in the passing game - I hear lots of complaints about our receivers, but the last time I checked, RBs were allowed to catch balls as well. Why Portis hasn't been more of a receiving threat during his career I'll never understand. Who were the Chiefs all-world wide receivers when they were one of the top scoring offenses in the league? Does the name Priest Holmes ring a bell? 4) Go to a 2 or 3 back system - Feature backs are almost a thing of the past. And even teams that do rely heavily on a primary RB get significant production from the backup RB (Chargers, Vikings, Falcons, etc.). The best running teams platoon their backs - Giants, Titans, Panthers, Patriots, etc. Having a consistent, healthy running game will help the passing game remain a factor all season long. The Skins can't continue to give Portis 340 plus carries each year. I think the Skins can use Portis, Betts and Cartwright much like the Ravens and Giants use their backs. 5) Get young and better on the O line - Campbell is a servicable QB when he has time to throw. Better play calling, another year in Zorn's system (this excuse gets discredited time and time again by other teams, but OK), better pass protection and the development of Thomas and/or Kelly and Davis, should produce better results next year. Remember, the Skins just needed to beat the Bengals, Rams and 49ers to be 11-5 and in the playoffs (I know, ifs and buts are like elbows). Someone said we used to have great receivers when we won those Super Bowls in the 80s and early 90s. No we didn't We had great O lines and pretty decent QBs (none of which are in the HOF). Rick Sanders had 9 catches for 193 yards in the Super Bowl for crying out loud. Who the hell is Ricky Sanders? 6) Encourage Campbell to take more chances - Maybe it was Gibbs that did it to him, but Campbell has developed a crippling phobia of interceptions. I know he only had 6, but his team also finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs. To throw for only 156 yards in a loss against a poor pass defense in a meaningless game is a sin. Let 'er rip! I remember when Brian Griese had 19 TDs and only 4 INTs for the Broncos. How did his career turn out? And I've got news for everyone who complains that our receivers never get open. It's the NFL. Receivers aren't always open. Receivers make plays ALL THE TIME with defeners draped all over them. And if our wide outs are too short to out jump the defender, then throw the ball short and let the wide receiver come back to the ball. The Skins once had a receiving corp that was so good it was given a nickname. That nickname was "The Smurfs". So spare me the garbage about our receivers being too short. The single best season produced by a Redskins WR was delivered by Santana Moss with friggin Mark Brunell as his QB. Where will TO, Randy Moss, Andre Johnson and Calvin Johnson be watching the Super Bowl from? They're living rooms. The Skins had less pass interference calls than any other team in the league and couldn't outscore the first team to go 0-16. Maybe if Zorn gave Campbell the green light to take more chances, he would be more willing to throw into tight coverage. This would solve his problem of holding onto the ball too long. Single coverage is open in the NFL. The bottom line is that the wide receivers aren't the problem. Most of the biggest and baddest receivers in the game will be sitting this year's Super Bowl out while a guy like Ricky Sanders or Deion Brach could very well be the difference maker. |
01-03-2009, 09:05 PM | #48 |
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Re: Our WRs in 2009... My Thoughts
4) 2 or 3 back system. Strongly agree. I just posted earlier in the FA thread how I would love to see Jacobs in the back with Portis. But Betts will do. I believe it can be very effective and add pass protection as well. We used to use this back in the old Gibbs days with John riggins and Joe Washington. And some of the best teams still do
Last edited by 44ever; 01-03-2009 at 09:11 PM. |
01-03-2009, 09:07 PM | #49 | |
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Re: Our WRs in 2009... My Thoughts
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01-03-2009, 09:11 PM | #50 | |
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Re: Our WRs in 2009... My Thoughts
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01-03-2009, 10:17 PM | #51 | |
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Re: Our WRs in 2009... My Thoughts
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The 49ers don't have great WRs, but they had their way against us. The Eagles didn't have good WRs when they went to the NFC Championship game 4 years in a row. The Pats didn't have good WRs when they won those 3 Super Bowls. And there's no rule that says you can only throw to receivers when they're "open" as they're not open sometimes until the ball is already in the air or as it gets to them. And there's always the option to throw to the backs and tight ends if the receivers are really that bad (see KC Chiefs of a few years ago). Cerrato decided to spend early picks on WRs instead of looking for a Marques Colston in the late rounds. The die is cast. We can only hope he didn't crap out with Kelly and Thomas. |
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01-03-2009, 11:30 PM | #52 | |
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Re: Our WRs in 2009... My Thoughts
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I know Santana Moss played well early when teams played soft & didn't cover him over the top that much... But Randel El was great? Thomas? Kelly? Thrash? huh? It's so funny that it's ALL about our O-Line... without anyone giving credence to the fact that really, the rest of the league figured out Zorn's SHORT WCO passing game and started playing much closer with their DBs and Safeties. I mean, does anyone else remember the shirt slant to Moss, the WR screen to Moss working really well ealry on beut never again after about week 6-7? Plus, the DBs starting playing tight off the lines, knowing our receivers can't get space on their own or get off of jams & that the would be running short-mid range routes... Suddenly, Campbell doesn't have big windows to throw into and the defense is closer to the line of scrimmage, taking away the 10 yard runs Portis was running off with regularity. The only game late where the opposing defense played soft was the Seahawks game. They played soft, no blitzes, and we were in 3 WR sets (especially the 2nd half) and Portis was getting CHUNKS of yards because the defense Seattle put out there facing a 3 WR set. The line wasn't so horrible that day... and I can tell you our receivers weren't great that day either.... Yes, our line isn't the HOGS of the 80's, but the are not a glaring weakness like our WR corp. Also... When I started the thread, I said that no way in heck should we draft a receiver any time soon, I threw out the idea of Houshmandzadeh as he will be a UFA. He's the only one I'd go out and pay for in this years FA class... otherwise, my point was, that we have to HOPE that Thomas gets smarter or Kelly has knee transplants... in order to see any real difference next year in the pass game (and our line will look "terrible" to everyone else again) ... lol
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01-03-2009, 11:34 PM | #53 | |
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Re: Our WRs in 2009... My Thoughts
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Are you saying get rid of Campbell? If you watched the Playoff game today they showed that their line gave up 47 sacks last year and 17 this year... and the line says its all Matt Ryan for getting the ball out quickly like he is supposed to. I think Campbell wants to get the ball out quickly, but doesn;t want to throw into tight coverage and get a pick. When receivers aren't open its hard to run a pass offense.
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01-03-2009, 11:37 PM | #54 | |
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Re: Our WRs in 2009... My Thoughts
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I think one of Zorn's biggest challenges with JC is un-coaching the Gibbs fear of turnovers. You've got to take chances in order to be great. He's so used to look, look, hold it rather than take 7 steps and throw it downfield even if your man is covered. Don't take stupid risks, but you've got to take chances as an NFL QB.
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01-03-2009, 11:41 PM | #55 | |
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Re: Our WRs in 2009... My Thoughts
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How about Reggie Wayne & Marvin Harrison? Plaxico Burress last year? I totally agree that lines have to get you to a championship, BUT you have to have dependable receivers who can get open, make tough catches, especially around the endzone to WIN championships (Tyree's catch & Burress' TD comes to mind from last years SB) I think our line needs DEPTH, but they proved for the first 8 weeks what they can do when the passing game is a least A LITTLE successful to keep other teams out of the box... I mean, Portis sets a record for consecutive 150 yard games midseason & now all of the sudden they are terrible. I'll say again... it goes back to defenses making the adjustment to not play soft any more and let our little scat-type receivers get easy space off the line for their little 6-8 yard routes... they took those away and BAM, now no passing threat, pack the box, no more running game, no receivers open when Campbell plants back foot, etc.
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01-04-2009, 12:03 AM | #56 | |
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Re: Our WRs in 2009... My Thoughts
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01-04-2009, 12:04 AM | #57 |
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Re: Our WRs in 2009... My Thoughts
That stinks, didn't know that. I like Randle El, but he might be the only one that would be worth anything in terms of trade bait. I guess only by trading down we will get more picks, but we do need high round linemen, so there goes the more picks plan. |
01-04-2009, 12:08 AM | #58 | |
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Re: Our WRs in 2009... My Thoughts
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01-04-2009, 12:10 AM | #59 | |
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Re: Our WRs in 2009... My Thoughts
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01-04-2009, 12:53 AM | #60 | |
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Re: Our WRs in 2009... My Thoughts
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As for the Patriots, they were consistently good and won 3 Super Bowls before Welker and Moss got there. Remember Deion Branch? That said, if the Skins could get a player like Randy Moss for a 4th round pick, I'm all for it. And the Patriots have the kind of system that could probably take a guy like ARE and make him produce like Welker As for Tyree, was he really "OPEN"? And can Campbell make the kind of play Eli made to get the pass off? If so, I haven't seen it yet. Call it depth or whatever you want, but the line(s) has to be the priority. Too much age and too many injuries. Cerrato took Kelly, Thomas and Davis early last year, so it's up to the coaches to get them ready to play. If the WRs can't get open, design more plays to the backs and tight ends, run some gadget plays, get all your RBs involved in the running game, move the pocket around and most importantly, throw them the ball anyway. NFL receivers don't have to be open to make catches. |
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