bubba9497 Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Ramsey still makes mistakes PAUL WOODY POINT OF VIEW Saturday, August 20, 2005 LANDOVER, Md. Will the real Patrick Ramsey please stand up? Quickly. Ramsey probably saved his job as the starting quarterback for the Washington Redskins last night, but barely and, literally, at the last second. Just how much of this coach Joe Gibbs can take before he gives up on Ramsey, one more time, is the question of the preseason. It is, however, a question that Gibbs refuses to address, at least publicly. This was supposed to be a preseason without a quarter back controversy. The starting job was Ramsey's to lose. And in the first two preseason games, he has made something of a case for losing it. Twenty-eight minutes and 40 seconds into the first half last night against the Cincinnati Bengals, Ramsey appeared to be sliding down the depth chart. He had thrown two interceptions, one after the Redskins had reached the Bengals 11, and another from the Bengals 38. The one touchdown pass he had thrown earlier was overshadowed by two mistakes Ramsey should not be making in his fourth year in the league. That the Bengals won 24-17 was irrelevant to Ramsey's performance. In a perfect world, Ramsey would have been sent to the bench to bask in the glow of his success and to feel his confidence growing after his touchdown pass. He executed that play about as well as a quarterback can. Ramsey rolled left, looked off the safety by glancing in the direction of wide receiver Santana Moss, then came back to the right and dropped a 25-yard pass over the defenders and into the arms of wide receiver James Thrash. Ramsey tries to stay oblivious to the pressure that is on him this season. But his reaction after that pass, jumping with excitement and thrusting his fist into the air, said far more than any words he could have offered otherwise. Had he been near the end zone, who knows, he might have lowered his head and smashed into the wall. Other Redskins quarterbacks - Gus Frerotte comes to mind - have done as much. Ramsey is a bit more heady than that, although he threw some head-shaking interceptions. Ramsey is getting no grace period from the fans. The booing began on the Redskins first possession when Ramsey threw a bad pass on third and six from the Washington 48. At that point, Ramsey seemed doomed to return to the backup job. How can any coach go into the regular season with a quarterback who takes one step forward, then two steps backward? But with 1:20 left in the half, Ramsey directed the Redskins hurry-up offense to a last-second field goal. Ramsey got 47 yards on his first two passes. The second, a 17-yard throw to tight end Robert Royal, came after Ramsey looked deep, then came back to a secondary receiver, just as a veteran NFL quarterback would do. If a coach is looking for a reason to keep a quarterback in the starting lineup, that drive and the earlier touchdown pass probably can be used as rationalization to do so. What you start to wonder is if Ramsey is cursed. Remember, there was talk of trading him during his rookie holdout. Last night, on the opening possession, Moss got behind the defense, and Ramsey threw a perfect pass. But Moss somehow lost the ball in the lights and never even reached for the ball. If that pass had been caught, then followed by the touchdown pass near the end of the first quarter, Ramsey's confidence would have been off the charts. And no one would have reason to wonder if he should be starting. Meanwhile, second-string quarterback Mark Brunell, playing with the backups, continues to make plays, throw sharp passes and move around as if he had surgery to remove years from his age in the offseason. Gibbs entered the preseason hoping to see Ramsey run away with the starting job. What he has seen so far has to give him pause. Contact Paul Woody at (804) 649-644or pwoody@timesdispatch.com This story can be found at: http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031784552014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaceman Spiff Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Thanks Paul. Couldn't have deduced that one on my own Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeB Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 I like how he says Ramsey was one should-have-been completion shy of looking great, then uses the rest of the article to condemn him. C'mon Paul, that's just tired and lame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsNeverDie Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Peyton Manning makes mistakes as well. Ramsey just makes a lot of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenster95 Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Hey Woody, it's nice of you to write about how Ramsey was slipping down the depth chart. Got any quotes from Gibbs to back this little view of yours up? Yeah, that's what I thought. Stick to fishing on the Rappahanock, Paul. That's more your speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEJ2200 Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Man - Living in Richmond, I get stuck having to read his articles on the Skins - thank goodness for the internet. I was disappointed (again) when I woke up this morning after driving home from the game last night only to read his article - I lost my hunger for Breakfast after reading that. I need to lose weight - maybe I should continue to read his articles prior to every meal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkowi Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Paul Woody still writes pointless articles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
God Help Me, I'm in Texas Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Jesus Christ, he's not exclusively writing for overobsessed Redskin fans here, he's writing for the general sports fan in the Richmond area. For that, it's a good article. Besides, he probably making less than $40,000 a year to do it. Give the man a break. (by the way, I am one of those overobsessed Redskin fans) :rant: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sith lord Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Very good article. I agreed with everything he said. Like it or not, Ramsey is just one more bad game from holding a clipboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phat Hog Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 Originally posted by SkinsNeverDie Peyton Manning makes mistakes as well. Ramsey just makes a lot of them. :laugh: :doh: :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSteve Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 In other news, you still need water to grow a plant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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