What's your defnition of 'conservative playcalling'?

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Originally Posted by The Zimmermans

many teams take hits to their O-lines, adjust, and succeed

I'd like to know what other teams with at least a 4-2 record have lost three starters along the O-line and have two of their backups injured (Wade and Heyer). In fact, forget the 4-2 record, find me a team with 5 o-linemen who have injuries that are as bad as Thomas', Jansen's, Rabach's, Heyer's, and Wade's.

It's nice and all to say "adapt and overcome," it's another to realistically expect a team to do so with those kind of injuries along the O-line. In fact, with all due respect, I find it kind of crazy.

[Southpaw]

Originally Posted by The Zimmermans

many teams take hits to their O-lines, adjust, and succeed

Show me any other team in the league that has had to resort to converting a defensive lineman to offense. Or any team that has lost five lineman in seven weeks of football.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Originally Posted by Southpaw

Show me any other team in the league that has had to resort to converting a defensive lineman to offense. Or any team that has lost five lineman in seven weeks of football.

Who cares if they have to use a d-linemen on offense? I mean, they should be able to throw in Brandon Lloyd or Reche Caldwell at tackle and not miss a beat. It's not like that is asking too much.

[The Zimmermans]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

Who cares if they have to use a d-linemen on offense? I mean, they should be able to throw in Brandon Lloyd or Reche Caldwell at tackle and not miss a beat. It's not like that is asking too much.

Patriots did it two years ago.....lost 3 of their starting 5....and had no receivers

[The Zimmermans]

We should have known that Jansen and Thomas get hurt every year. I am tired of excuses....you guys make as many excuses as you like...if the O-line is hurting, then why don't we punt the ball on first down

[offiss]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

When guys were healthy last year we didn't have any problems running the ball, same in 2005. So I'm really not sure where you're going here.

I am, when ever we have a situation that we need to run the ball we can't, put all the stats out the window, kind of like our goal line running against the Giants when we had 1st and goal inside the 5 and a healthy line, as usual when a team commits to stopping the run against us we can't do anything, sorry but what we are doing is just not working we need to adapt another type of philosophy on offense, it may not have to be drastic but something has to change, we have as much talent as anyone and do less with it than most.

IMO we have to throw much more and be successful to open up the defense, shorten the routes if protection is not adequate but it has to force the defense to change to stop us, once that takes place you are dictating to the defense rather than them to us, then you can hit them with quick draws and screens, which neither will work without a legitimate, consistent passing game. IMO the players are there to accomplish this but the coaches have to be able to adjust and utilize whats there.

[Southpaw]

Originally Posted by The Zimmermans

Patriots did it two years ago.....lost 3 of their starting 5....and had no receivers

And were 3-3 after six games...

[The Zimmermans]

IN a tougher AFC, with a less effective defense

[Southpaw]

Originally Posted by The Zimmermans

IN a tougher AFC, with a less effective defense

So now who's making excuses?

Seriously though, what is it that you and the folks that think the O line troubles is just an excuse, are looking for? If being 4-2 and having 80% of the win total of all of last season after six games isn't good enough, what is?

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Originally Posted by The Zimmermans

Patriots did it two years ago.....lost 3 of their starting 5....and had no receivers

Our team is good, but it is not the best of the best. I might drink the Kool-Aid every now and then, but I don't expect JC to play like Brady. The fact is that, for at least 28 or 30 of the league's 32 teams, the injuries we've suffered are devastating. See the 2007 St. Louis Rams.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Originally Posted by The Zimmermans

We should have known that Jansen and Thomas get hurt every year. I am tired of excuses....you guys make as many excuses as you like...if the O-line is hurting, then why don't we punt the ball on first down

No one is saying that the injuries to the offensive line make is excusable to fail to get any first downs or score any points. I think that people like myself are simply saying that such injuries are going to have a big impact on our team. If, however, you expect JC to play like Brady or our team to lose 3-5 o-linemne and not skip a beat, your expectations of this team are too high IMO.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Originally Posted by offiss

IMO we have to throw much more and be successful to open up the defense, shorten the routes if protection is not adequate but it has to force the defense to change to stop us, once that takes place you are dictating to the defense rather than them to us, then you can hit them with quick draws and screens, which neither will work without a legitimate, consistent passing game. IMO the players are there to accomplish this but the coaches have to be able to adjust and utilize whats there.

I actually do agree that we need to throw the ball more than we did against Arizona. But, I don't think our offense's performance against Arizona is representative of how this team's offense has performed this season.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

Our team is good, but it is not the best of the best. I might drink the Kool-Aid every now and then, but I don't expect JC to play like Brady. The fact is that, for at least 28 or 30 of the league's 32 teams, the injuries we've suffered are devastating. See the 2007 St. Louis Rams.

Thomas and Jansen were big losses. But from what I understand Wade was pushing Jansen hard in camp, and wasn't far behind him. Kendall is an excellent player in Dockery's place. Rabach will be back this weekend. So you've got Fabini and Wade, who have both started A LOT of NFL games, filling in the two holes created by injury. It's not like we've got bums off the street in there. I'm really tired of using the O-line as an excuse. Instead these injuries should be a reason to rally around the line and get them pumped to step up and play at a higher level. If we keep using this excuse week in and week out, we can excuse ourselves from being a legit playoff caliber team.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by The Zimmermans

many teams take hits to their O-lines, adjust, and succeed

Umm, I think we have.

If we were 2-4 you might have a point. But we're not 2-4, we're 4-2.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Originally Posted by GMScud

Thomas and Jansen were big losses. But from what I understand Wade was pushing Jansen hard in camp, and wasn't far behind him. Kendall is an excellent player in Dockery's place. Rabach will be back this weekend. So you've got Fabini and Wade, who have both started A LOT of NFL games, filling in the two holes created by injury. It's not like we've got bums off the street in there. I'm really tired of using the O-line as an excuse. Instead these injuries should be a reason to rally around the line and get them pumped to step up and play at a higher level. If we keep using this excuse week in and week out, we can excuse ourselves from being a legit playoff caliber team.

Wade was working in camp at LG and has shifted to RT and is currently trying to overcome injuries. Kendall has definitely filled in nicely, notwithstanding the fact that he became a Redskin just before the start of the regular season. Fabini has a lot of starting experience, but his skills have clearly eroded. Rabach was out last Sunday. Heyer was out last Sunday.

I definitely agree that the O-line needs to improve in a big way if we want to do anything in the post-season. However, I am hoping that, as these guys play together, they will improve as a unit.

In my view, I am not making excuses for the team. In my opinion, the offensive line has been a strength for this team for quite some time. This year, I do not think it is a strength. JC has been under consistent pressure the past few weeks and the O-line has certainly NOT opened decent running lanes for our backs on a consistent basis. So, given that the O-line has done a sub-par job protecting the QB and a downright awful job opening running lanes, I am not terribly surprised by our lack of production on offense.

So, I guess I'm wondering if people (not you specifically GMScud) disagree with my conclusion that the offensive line is doing a pretty poor job or my conclusion that the offensive line's woes are largely attributable to the injuries. If people agree with my conclusion that the offensive line is doing a poor job and that is attributable to the injuries, how is it that I am making excuses?