Art Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Patrick Ramsey is a rookie. He's going to play like a rookie and we're all going to pull our hair out over it. But, dammit, that was NOT a rookie we just saw. You could feel the confidence on this team growing every play. Ramsey was hit and miss early, but, he kept making the key plays. He kept facing down pressure and delivering the ball. He showed great touch. He showed great arm strength. He showed great poise. He'll look like a rookie, I know. I just can't believe how unrookie-like he was. A couple of plays really stood out for me. First, that jump pass to Bryan Johnson. In the air, with too little time to even process everything, he left the ground, and delivered a ball while being hit and pulled back some 20 yards down the field. The pass to Lockett for the touchdown struck me because if Matthews is the QB on that play, it's a three-yard completion to the running back. No way Matthews stands there and faces a coming Carter. He dumps it. Remember earlier in the game when Wuerffel got hurt on the run? No pressure at all, but he flushes himself in to a three-yard scamble. That would have happened again if Wuerffel was in there. With Ramsey, like with the whole game, he just seems to feel pressure without really caring about it. He stood there and stood there and stood there and then passed to a guy some 20-yards open. A lot of plays really stood out. His touch on the bomb, without being a McNair or Carter like punt, was outstanding. His touch on that first seam pass to Flem that was dropped was encouraging. His deep ins, into coverage, were hot and accurate. I don't think I had any idea he could put that kind of game together. I don't think any of us really thought we'd see that kind of game. All in all, Patrick Ramsey is going to be a very encouraging player for us to watch grow. Let's hope he's not Gus Frerotte who started pretty much the same way against Indy if you'll recall. But, what Frerotte didn't have in that game was any touch. He was all hot all the time and once teams game planned him, he never had any layers to fall back on. Ramsey is now on film. How he responds when teams start jumping some of those slants will be interesting to watch. Overall this is more the type of game you have to be encouraged by. The offensive line provided really good time. The worst player on the line, again, was Chris Samuels. But, in all, everyone played pretty well. Notice that Wilbert Brown played for Loverne there in the second half. Loverne got nicked, but I don't know if he was healthy enough to return or not. The defensive line got really good pressure as the game wore on. It's all about confidence and comfort. Notice that all of our big plays in the passing game were with us in man defense. Notice that Arrington, when allowed to run, makes a difference. Notice that Armstead is probably the best defensive player on the field every week. For either team. The defense isn't there yet. But, against the Niners, we played about a quarter and a half of high level defense. Here we played about three quarters of high level defense. The defense will continue to grow as it gets more and more comfortable. Confidence can lead to comfort too . In all Lewis deserves credit for adjusting things just enough to get some production. He had Jackson in earlier. He kept Lavar moving around, and though Lavar still looks painfully slow and unsure for most of the game, he is an impact when he's allowed to move around and let himself pull the trigger. He's still a few weeks away, and he's still the worst backer we have. Trotter played better and better. Armstead just looks great. I know, not Coakley great, but, you can't ask for everything I guess. Trotter started to show why we got him. He blew up a couple of run plays there as the game wore on. In all, the defense got less and less hesitant, seemingly, with every play. I'd still like to put away the cover-2 nonsense, but, in all, this defensive performance was close to the type you need to win in this league. Gardner and Wilkinson are still playing very well, clogging the middle. Even against the Niners they were not the problem. This game certainly gives you a different feeling heading into a very important confidence builder next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarhog Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Art, only issue I would argue is that the Oline provided 'really good time'. I saw Ramsey pick himself off the carpet (granted, mostly after completions so we didn't hear that much about it) on just about every other passing play...makes me fearful of the kind of pressure he may see in upcoming games. But he found a way to make the key 3rd down completions over and over. Felt the same way you did overall, he just looked poised as hell. If we'd needed a game winning drive today, I would have felt positive at the start that we could make it happen. Anything we say based on one game would be a reach, but still I can't help but feel this game changed the tone of the remainder of the season. Just what the MD ordered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GURU Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 The O-line could use a talent upgrade at some point. Loverne and Stei aren't real talented. But they are tough, smart guys who will improve as the line learns to play together. I think the line will get better as the season goes along. LaVar will come around. He looked tentative at this time last year, too. People were starting to use the word "bust" with him until the Carolina game. Ramsey will have some growing pains as teams start to chart his tendencies. Hopefully, with his strong arm, he will adapt and not develop too many tendencies. That's one of his biggest assets--he can make the wrong read, but he can still compensate by zipping the ball to a receiver who wasn't the primary target. His initial performance was very encouraging, and I think he's earned a starting position for a while, at least. Defenses are going to start throwing all kinds of different looks at him, though. Should be interesting to see how he responds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brave Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Ramsey looked very good. The surprising thing to me is how good he looked with a lot of pressure from the outset. He was making plays JUST in the nick of time. After he made a few he seemed to gain confidence and he looked REALLY good after that. Shane and DW must be shaking their heads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted October 6, 2002 Author Share Posted October 6, 2002 I think he was under more pressure early than he was late. It was kind of a growth thing. The more plays he made, the better his protection got. That offensive line play was about as good as you're going to get in any game. There are always going to be negative plays, but, if we can't give the offensive line a nod for greater and greater control of the line of scrimmage in this game, then we simply never are going to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeletor The Invincible Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 What I like about our QBs is that they seem really supportive about eachother. and.. err.. yeah.. Ramsey looked super. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarhog Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 The other thing I noted was what a good feel for the pocket Ramsey seems to have (very Montana like)...on the broken play for a TD, he barely side-stepped a sack coming from the left and hit the wide open receiver. Having someone back there that feels the pressure and doesn't immediately bolt or dump off is one of the things we've been missing. If the Oline is less than stellar but gives him enough time, guess who am I to lambast them. They opened up some great holes for SD and Watson (who did a great job in relief) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riggins44 Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 During the TV broadcast, Moose Johnson kept saying how poised Ramsey was and the confidence he has. Moose says he's got some intangibles that can't be taught. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brave Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Right on Tarhog. I saw him have good "feel" for the pocket on a number of occasions. He would step up and throw the ball JUST when he needed to. He was on the ground the next second. After he avoided the rush a few times he really seemed to gain confidence and after that ... it was ALL GOOD! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonjeff Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Poise, Art was the most impressive part of Ramsey's game. That kid stood in there and stayed calm. 16-29 could have easily been 20-29 as there were some drops at the beginning. The receivers probably wern't used to the velosity on the ball that Ramsey throws. You could see the whole teams play pickup as Ramsey led them to the victory. The defense fed off of the offenses sucess. They knew they could pin their ears back and play the way they are suppossed to play. The D's play really improved during the bye week. It seems as if they worked real hard to get things going in the right direction. The bye couldn't have come at a better time for the Skins. All in all that was the best all around performance by a Redskin team in a very long time. Offense, defense, and special teams were all top notch. I'm trying not to get all hyped up by the play of Ramsey. It was one game. We have seen this happen before with other one year wonders. I'm just hoping Ramsey is different. He looked so much like Brady of the Pats it was scarey. My gut tells me we have something special here. My mind tells me to remain calm and see what happens. We have plenty of season left. Today could be the beginning of something special for the Redskins. Only time will tell! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GURU Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 You know, there are lots of "mobile" QBs who have no feel for pass rush pressure at all. Rob Johnson comes to mind, immediately. If Ramsey can continue to show a feel for the rush and be able to flick the ball to open receivers, well, that's all you can ask for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just skins baby Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 I agree with Tarhog that Ramsey and this team looked very good on third downs. The last stat that I remember seeing showed we at 5/5 on those third down plays. Very good game and it seemed that everybody clicked right after halftime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty dread Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Ramsey is the real deal. Once he settled in, he was very good. He's not afraid of taking a hit, and he has a great feel for the pocket and when to step up, when to slide, etc. This is Ramsey's job to lose now. Wuerffel getting hurt was the best thing that could have happened. Spurrier didn't have the sack to start Ramsey this week, and I think alot of us were very disappointed in Spurrier. Now he has no choice, it's obvious Ramsey gives us the best shot at winning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RF4L Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Thanks for the posts, guys, especially your detailed breakdown, Art, of our rookie's performance. I couldn't watch the game today, only catching scores here and there. It nice to be able to catch up here. :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70Chip Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Originally posted by just skins baby I agree with Tarhog that Ramsey and this team looked very good on third downs. The last stat that I remember seeing showed we at 5/5 on those third down plays. Very good game and it seemed that everybody clicked right after halftime. I totally agree. I just Tivoed back through the game, and not only did the Redskins consistently convert on Third Down, but Ramsey pulled it off several times on Third and Long against a pretty fierce rush (or bad blocking). Just outstanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70Chip Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Here's something else remarkable -- the drive chart from NFL.com, starting with the 90-yarder and ending when it got to clock-run time. Plays Net Yards First Downs Result 13 90 6 TD 1 5 0 End of Half 12 74 6 TD 7 72 4 TD 5 71 3 TD So, four long and sustained drives until the game was out of reach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 I thought he was pressured a lot, too. But, unlike Danny, when pressured, he completed passes, anyway. Do that often enough, and the defense will stop trying it. (They'll figure out that it doesn't work). No, I don't think one game wil be enough to make defenses stop pressuring him. (Other DCs will look at this film, and think "OK. Tenn's blitz didn't get to him, but I bet mine will"). So Ramsey'll have to prove he can handle the pressure some more. But, he shure looked better at it than anybody else we've had, lately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRMADD Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 That was a shockingly good rookie performance. His ability to 'feel' the rush and step up to make throws was impressive. His courage in the pocket (remember the safety blitz up the middle?) was ridiculous -- aren't rookies supposed to get rattled? He just calmly delivered the ball, knowing he was gonna get hit. His ability to see his receivers and spread the ball around the field was great. And it's not like he played it safe. He pushed some balls into some tight spots. His receivers have to LOVE him. Ramsey was even better than the stat sheets says -- some of his early throws were pitiful drops (maybe his receivers weren't used to his arm strength -- and that's being charitable). For a rookie to commit no turnovers in his debut is nothing short of wonderful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckydevil Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 That was a amazing performance by Ramsey. Once he gets even more comfortable, I except the skins to attack deep at a much higher rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinnedGator Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 Well Spurrier said this week that he had Ramsey just about ready to play. Give him some credit and Danny too for helping out. If Ramsey can do this week after week we'll have the next dan Marino on our hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy-the-Greek Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 I also noticed Ramsey's ability to search the whole field. I noticed SM and DW would stare down there reciever and were always looking at one guy and then the dump off. Ramsey seemed to eye all the recievers and he made throws where he was eyeing a reciever to the right and would throw to the left on the money. Rookies arent suppossed to be able to do that. This kid has some traits and talents you just can't teach and Spurrier will teach him the rest. This Rookie is the real deal. The "D" only allowed 59 yards rushing. What we saw in the second half from our "D" was very promising. Gardener and BDW really plugged up the middle and Trotter and Armstead were impressive stopping the run they had 15 tackles between them. LA didn't get a single tackle. He still seemed lost at times on the field. When he finally starts to understand his role and accepts it and goes out there playing within the system we will have the best LB's in the game. This "D" has the potential to be a dominant force. I would also like to mention the special teams. Our coverage team played solid not allowing any big plays. Our return game still needs some work on punts and kickoffs. Tuthill's kickoffs are a solid addition to our team. He has the power to kick it deep into the endzone and he can kick it to an upman at the 15-25 to minimize a big return late in a game. This was really the first game since we got him that we scored enough to get to see what he can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlito Sway Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 I'm with Tommy. There was that awesome NFL Films caliber shot where The Kid stood in a collapsing pocket, eyes darting back and forth, licking his lips. Some Titan defender stretched out an arm and grazed The Kid's shoulderpad; he shrugged it off. Didn't bat an eye; maybe took a step forward and fired. Complete. Hail To The Kid! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spanishomelette Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 I know he is getting compared to Marino, but this debut seems more like the one John Unitas had. Young QB comes in, can throw it anywhere under pressure, takes over the team, and the rest was history. But it's only one game. The Gus debut is still haunting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codeorama Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 Everyone, just remember, he is bound to have a bad game at some point. Don't lose your :jerkoff: for him at the first sign of trouble. I'm am really stoked for next year and the next year and so on. When he gets his experience, watch out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.