NoCalMike

Trump, "I always a find a way to win." Agreed sir, except "a way" is likely illegal, or at the least extremely unethical. It should be obvious by now that everything out of Trump's mouth and all his actions are just to preserve a fake image of himself. Doctors leaving operating rooms to shake his hands? Yeah Okaaaaaay........and then there was the report that Trump always makes sure to be seen "leaving the white house through the front door" even when he hasn't been there at all, because it gives off the impression that he has been there working. This guy is the Wizard of Oz personified. Don't look at the racist moron behind the curtain.........except we've had the curtain pulled back and it doesn't even seem to matter to 40% of the country.

My current fear is that the team is going to have a losing record most of the season but never so lopsided that Gruden pulls the trigger on Haskins. Something like 3-5, then 4-6.....the math is always going to justify "staying the course" but the reality is the team is going nowhere.

I think what exacerbates the situation is that you have a coach in his final year of their contract who is in the hot seat and has pressure to win now, however that just isn't what this roster is right now. This team is in a transition. Their best LT is likely gone, the Week 1 starter (supposedly) is at best a stop gap, at worst a guy who's only good season was with a team full of playmakers. If he fails, then the job is being handed over to a rookie that the coaches don't think is ready. The 2019 team is more suited to just take their medicine and forget about wins/losses and just let the youngest players with the most potential play things out, getting their reps, learning their schemes and lessons, improving etc etc....but Gruden can't afford to take that approach from Week 1. Honestly, Gruden had his shot....this team has been stuck in neutral since 2015. The final two seasons of the Kirk Cousins era were Wild Card caliber teams that couldn't get the job done in the biggest moments that meant playoffs or go home. For me, that sealed Gruden's fate as not head coach material. I am not necessarily blaming everything on Gruden (you can't) but I also don't see any evidence of him being an architect of anything that made the team better. If your answer to that is his scheme on offense, well good, demote him to O-coordinator and bring in a legitimate Head Coach.

Hopefully the run game during the regular season is as good as what it *looks* like it has the potential to be because if it is, then the playaction pass is going to go a long way to help mask the O-line's pass protection issues, especially on downs where it is higher % run. Also Gruden has to break up the predictable stuff. We've heard the last couple of seasons that 90% of the time specific TE's come into the games for runs versus passes. That is not going to the O-line any favors.

I also think one big tell for the game will be if Washington blows early opportunities. Remember the MNF opener against Pittsburgh a few seasons ago? Defense was forcing turnovers early, giving the offense a short field....I think it resulted in nothing but a 6-0 lead or something lame. Pittsburgh was clearly the better team when all was said and done, however they looked sloppy for the first quarter and a half, had the offense converted those short field possessions into TDs instead, you put a team behind the 8 ball early.

Only hope for a win in Philly (based on my opinion on what I've currently seen from the team) is catching Philly napping, or they come out rusty and get behind, and the defense manages to shut down a potential game winning drive at the end. Otherwise, nah bruh.

I wonder if there is thinking in the front office that they should go ahead and let the season start with Trent on the roster, and see how the team does without him. If somehow they surprise and say are .500 about at the 8 week mark, maybe it would help coax Trent back into the fold to give them a big boost. Can't help but think this team being mediocre the majority of his years here is helping motivate him to want to turn the page and start new somewhere else. Trent doesn't have many elite seasons left, once that athleticism goes, the decline will be fast, perhaps something he isn't sharing is his awareness of this and wanting to go to a winning team before he isn't of use to those kinds of teams.

Right. The damage done that he has been a part of will likely outlive his brother, his children, and probably his grand children.

Seems like Trump is just hell bent on painting China as this ultimate comic book villain to distract from the fact that his trade war policies aren't actually helping Americans, instead hurting.

Yep, typical. "Oops about that link that made the story blow up....but still follow memo telling you to be racist"

This is exactly what I was saying on the first page. Reed had already been wrapped up, tackled, and was on his way to the ground. The helmet to helmet hit came after this, like a stray dog entering the situation just to add something unnecessary to the situation. That defender played zero role in Reed being tackled/stopped, he just entered the situation merely to add an extra hit on Reed after the fact and he did it leading with his helmet. From my understanding, this is the exact type of thing the NFL is looking to get rid of as opposed to the incidental contact where a ball carrier and defender are both making a move and their helmets accidentally collide. I wonder if the hit would have been reacted to different had Reed laid on the ground afterwords instead of popping right up to signal first down.

I actually thought the run blocking overall seemed better, unless it was just Guice using his speed & vision to make good runs out of nothing? The pass blocking however.......uh oh.

What sucks about this is there is really nothing he can do to avoid hits like that.....it was what, the 3rd defender who showed up on the play just diving in there to lay a hit when Reed was already wrapped up and being tackled to the ground? I know Reed has the "can't stay healthy wrap" but maybe they need to make penalties for helmet to helmet hits more severe because there is nothing the ball carrier can do in those situations to protect themselves.

Great play by Harris there. He was beat in the foot race but watched the WR's face and hands, and threw up his hand at the perfect time without making contact for the pass deflection.

Was that throw to Davis just out of his grasp or should he have caught that? I have the Falcons feed going and didn't get a replay.