Views from a "naysayer" (long)

[ouvan59]

Lack of Pass rush. Yes I know the skins sacks are up from last year but they are still not where they need to be from the front 4. Trent Green seemed to have all day for most of the dolphins game. I would like to see QBs actually get hurried from a 4 man rush and not just stand around all comfy looking, though I doubt this will happen. Carter looks Ok, but nothing special at all.

I disagree here. While no one will ever confuse our front four with the Purple People Eaters, they have been getting faily good consistent pressure particularly last week. We haven't blitzed much but teams have still felt the need to dump it off. McNabb was harried much of the night. I give a lot of the credit to Carter. He may not beat his man on his first move every time but he has really showed a motor this year and keeps coming.

I do agree with your earlier assessment about Cornelius Griffin. He is and has been the key to our defense for all four years he's been here. When healthy he is tremendous.

[WilberMarshall]

Skinsn24,

Great analysis... read the entire piece. I would say the comments are VERY fair.

Ps. If this is an example of being negative, by all means continue.

[SkinsFTW]

I LOVED the go for the throat play call. One of the best plays called by Saunders since he has been here, if not the best play call.

When I saw the fake and the defense bite, even on TV this was noticeable, everybody looked at me funny because I jumped out of my seat and was yelling. I was at work, lol.

It really sucked that he overthrew but it was a great call. I was hoping that they'd just run the ball down their throats because I think it would have ran out the clock but it was good to see them take a chance there. Eventually he should hit those regularly.

[skinsn24]

All I can say is....

Why do people change the font? It's not pretty and totally more difficult to read. There is a reason these newsgroup programs use a basic font.

Pet peave.

Microsoft Word? Ever heard of it? Times New Roman is pretty basic...jeez:cheers:

[skinsn24]

2 things I would like to point out:

1. Rock returning kicks is a great move IMO, he doesnt get it to the 25 everytime, he consistently gets it past the 30 and fights for extra yards...I think hes a great option there.

2.You called James Trash

I argee Rock can get it to the 30 or 35 but I dont see any type of huge play coming from him. Then again he has taken one to the house before, so i dont know. I just find it amazing that he is actually the best we have.

good, fair analysis.....

about rock.... i think he is solid as hell. he grinds out some pretty good yardage after first contact.... my only complaint is i dont know if he has that big play capability. i wish we had a real threat back there.

Pretty much how I feel.

[skinsn24]

I didn't read anything in this thread, I just wanted to say, please stop saying "nay" already. I swear this team could win three Super Bowls in one year somehow and you would still find something you didn't like. Let it rest when we are 2-0.

It would do you well to read at least the first couple of lines before you post.

They only reason the word "nay" appeared is because others here, have told me that i am a naysayer, which i do not think i am.:gaintsuck

[BigMike619]

skins24, your post is more homerish than any I would have written. I see a mediocre football team, improved this year over last, but still in the mediocre category.

I sense that I'm more optimistic than you about the team's playoff chances with a 2-0 start, but that's only because we are in the NFC which has no elite teams. They're all mediocre.

this is your real negative nancy..:laugh:

[skinsn24]

I have very few qualms with your analysis until the very end, however....

1) Just because a fan says "playoffs here we come" or something in week two does not necessarily mean that they don't understand where we are at or how the NFL works...I'd say that an inordinate number of folks here realize that every game counts and that anything can happen and that we're only in the third week...but we're all hopeful and some like to express it by saying "superbowl here we come." Don't patronize us and don't tell us how to express our excitement, please.

2) You don't want this team to be jinxed? Are you in grade school? If by "jinxed" you mean you don't want them to get a big head, I'll let you slide...but if you mean "jinxed" in a genuine Merriam-Webster sort of way...wow...I didn't know adults believed in jinxes...that's just a bit weird.

3) I will go so far as to say I (and I would assume we) all appreciate your concern for us getting our hopes up and having them dashed...that was nice of you...

4) I think about the playoffs every minute of the season until we are statistically out of it...that's not going to change and there's nothing wrong with it..

Outside of that...great job on the analysis...again, can't say I disagree....just don't try and save us from ourselves, ok? It's a bit condescending...

Alright well I am glad your main quam with me is my view on some of the posts here. That means we prob see our team in the same light.

Let me explain my comments to the fans. IF everyone starts saying superbowl and then we win 5 games (like last year) we look (as a group) as some very moronic fans. I dont like being grouped into a bunch like that. It just doesnt make sense to make predictions like 8-0 after winning 2 games or saying superbowl. If you get excited why not say something true like "2-0 baby, top of the league" instead of "2-0 we are going to the superbowl, i know it"

As far as jinxing and curses go, it might be childish to beleive in some of them but Madden, SI, weird things seem to happen. Better safe than sorry imo.:2cents:

[skinsn24]

nice write up. Understand your logic behind calling this week's game a "MUST WIN" but going into the bye week at 2-1 would't be the end of the world.

Again, good write up.....it' refreshing after all the other crap around here lately.

Thank you for the comments. I agree 2-1 into the bye is not the end of the world, but i think mentally it is a huge difference to spend 2 weeks thinking about a loss or 2 weeks thinking about next weeks oppenent and a chance at 4-0. Plus it will kill the giants.

[skinsn24]

The Redskins are an interesting team because at 2-0 they do have warts. They haven't gotten turnovers. We have turned it over. We've had injuries on the offensive line. It's not wrong to point out we have not been one of the dominating 2-0 teams like the Pats or Steelers have been thusfar.

Some of your analysis is a bit off. Carter is playing out of his mind good at this point, and, interestingly, the front four, especially with Washington there, is generating serious pressure that actually is fitting with what we're doing in the secondary. McNabb was rarely able to get comfortable in the pocket because we were able to move him, repeatedly, off his spot. Green may have seemed to have more time, but, the Dolphins prepared for 80 percent blitzes and got 5 blitzes all day. It wasn't until late in the first half that they began to take a five-step drop. And, Green is quite good at the check down, which they went to most of the time against us.

The thing about our defense right now is we seem to be creating coverage funnel points. We are allowing certain passes to be available and we're relying on team speed to collapse around the ball when it comes. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out as teams adjust. Right now we're really painting the first down line, and running on to the ball and ending plays. It's good. Teams will have to adjust by allowing intermediate routes to develop. At which point I would expect more blitzing.

The Redskins need to win this week to prove they are professional and capable of defending home field. It wouldn't be the end of the world if we lost, but it would be a sign we're kind of the same team we've been in that we would squander this opportunity. Good teams make this opportunity theirs. Let's hope we do that.

Art, I agree with most of what you have written but I still have to disagree with you on the Play of MWash and the front 4 as pass rushers. I give them credit in the run game they have plated welll. But as far as generating lots of pressure with just the front 4? I dont see it. We have 1 sack from Carter, which is fine in 2 games, but that is only pace for 8 all year. Maybe we view him as a different types of players. I want him to be 10-16 sack per year type guy and earn that huge paycheck. It is not too late, as it could easily happen.

Mwash has dissapointed me so far, yes he has a sack but only has 4 solo tackles in 2 games....not what i want out of him. I think his injury has slowed him down but he def has the talent to get back to where he was. Time will tell.

But to continue with the front 4 point, the last drive of the Philly game was very very scary. How far did the get to the 12 or something and Mcnabb missed a wide open curtis to potentially tie the game. I realize most of this drive we were sitting back (taylor did have a great blitz though) but he was completing passes and looked at ease for most of the drive.:2cents:

I agree with your points on the gaints game.:gaintsuck

[skinsn24]

Marcus looked much more comfortable using both arms against the Eagles. He definitely looked tentative against Miami but I thought he was back to his old self in Philly.

You make a fair point in his progession. As he had 0 solo tackles agaisnt Maimi, which is not acceptable but had 4 (with a sack) agaisnt Philly.

I would still like to see his numbers in the 6-8 tackles per game though. Lets hope he continues to get stronger and play better.

[BigMike619]

You make a fair point in his progession. As he had 0 solo tackles agaisnt Maimi, which is not acceptable but had 4 (with a sack) agaisnt Philly.

I would still like to see his numbers in the 6-8 tackles per game though. Lets hope he continues to get stronger and play better.

ya know bud, i would rather it be spread all around to all the LBs instead of having just one guy try to fly around and do everything...

[skinsn24]

ya know bud, i would rather it be spread all around to all the LBs instead of having just one guy try to fly around and do everything...

So would I. I didnt say he need 15 tackles a game. I just think 4 solo tackles in 2 games is not acceptable from Mwash especially not compared to the other 2 backers stats. That said he has an injury and it is obviously affecting him. Hopefully he will get well soon.

[Rolling Thunder]

Well thought out post!

I agree with you Skinsn24, it's not the end of the world to go in at the bye 2-1 but it is loads better to go into a bye 3-0 and 2-0 in the division.

Which would you rather spend two weeks contemplating? Being undefeated or losing to the team with the worst defense in the NFL? :2cents:

[skinsn24]

Well thought out post!

I agree with you Skinsn24, it's not the end of the world to go in at the bye 2-1 but it is loads better to go into a bye 3-0 and 2-0 in the division.

Which would you rather spend two weeks contemplating? Being undefeated or losing to the team with the worst defense in the NFL? :2cents:

I agree with ya. Thanks for the compliment.

[LoudMouth12thMan]

Jinxed? You don't have to worry about those kind of things when you've got the kind of team we apparently have this year. If you think we aren't going 5-1 or 6-0 by the end of week 7, you're nutty. I'm not a blind optimist but I'm also not a blind pessimist either. I'd like to think I'm a realist. For me, the Philly game answered all the questions I had in many ways including depth, chemistry, ability to stop offenses on 3rd down, score points, run the ball, play solid on Teams, win in hostile territory (to the nth degree)...the list goes on.

You can paint the picture any way you like. You can sway the argument or create doubt but the "realist" sees that this team is already a playoff team and its week 2. If we stay healthy and not continue to lose key guys from week to week the sky's the limit. You know it and I know it. If you don't know it, you better open your fuggin' eyes. People all week keep saying this is a "trap game" and the "Giants are desperate"....bull #$%! I say, the Skins are going to destroy this Giants team. I understand Gibbs' reasoning and his cautious approach but he better wake up and realize that we don't have to keep teams in it all game long. We should go for the kill as early as possible. No, I'm not talking about a shootout, but after we jam it down their throats for two and a half quarters I expect to toss it down the field and put them away before the end of the 3rd. Watch!!! You'll see tomorrow :point2sky :gaintsuck

HTTR

[skinsn24]

Jinxed? You don't have to worry about those kind of things when you've got the kind of team we apparently have this year. If you think we aren't going 5-1 or 6-0 by the end of week 7, you're nutty. I'm not a blind optimist but I'm also not a blind pessimist either. I'd like to think I'm a realist. For me, the Philly game answered all the questions I had in many ways including depth, chemistry, ability to stop offenses on 3rd down, score points, run the ball, play solid on Teams, win in hostile territory (to the nth degree)...the list goes on.

You can paint the picture any way you like. You can sway the argument or create doubt but the "realist" sees that this team is already a playoff team and its week 2. If we stay healthy and not continue to lose key guys from week to week the sky's the limit. You know it and I know it. If you don't know it, you better open your fuggin' eyes. People all week keep saying this is a "trap game" and the "Giants are desperate"....bull #$%! I say, the Skins are going to destroy this Giants team. I understand Gibbs' reasoning and his cautious approach but he better wake up and realize that we don't have to keep teams in it all game long. We should go for the kill as early as possible. No, I'm not talking about a shootout, but after we jam it down their throats for two and a half quarters I expect to toss it down the field and put them away before the end of the 3rd. Watch!!! You'll see tomorrow :point2sky :gaintsuck

HTTR

Im not sure you read my post except for the jinxed part but it is ok.

A realist would say this team is 2-0 with a legit shot at 3-0.

I hope to god you are correct but your reasoning is not sound. I see us beating the gaints but i will never be the type of person to say something before it happens. Any given sunday, thats why you play the games.

[LoudMouth12thMan]

Im not sure you read my post except for the jinxed part but it is ok.

A realist would say this team is 2-0 with a legit shot at 3-0.

I hope to god you are correct but your reasoning is not sound. I see us beating the gaints but i will never be the type of person to say something before it happens. Any given sunday, thats why you play the games.

I've read all this all week long. Believe me, you're not the first to make all of those points. Any given Sunday is a movie. If you play like you know you can play every time you hit the field, any given Sunday doesn't mean a thing. You think any of our players think like that...any given Sunday? Nope, they don't. My reasoning is this: they've pounded the ball on two sound Defenses, they're in the top 5 in the league in 3rd down conversions if I'm not mistaken on both sides of the ball, they've won games despite they're young qb's poor play at times (who has overcome his mistakes and made game changing plays in those same games to help the team win, which qb's with 8 games under they're belt don't normally do), and the "bend but don't break" philosophy that you poo pooed is what help the Colts (with Sanders) win every playoff game and win the SB last year. So, I don't buy in to your reasoning of any given Sunday...not with this team. They know what it's like to be 5-11. They had plenty of any given Sundays last year. I'd suffice to say that there won't be a whole lot of any given Sundays with this 07 team. Just my take. I do buy in to the saying that opinions are like ass holes though :laugh:

We'll see but this team is better than most give them credit for. Do me a favor. Spend about 45 mins or so researching the stats on the Skins for the past two games including Rocky, Frosty, Randle El, the 3rd down situation on both sides of the ball, and yardage/t.o.p. Look at all of that, think about how bad they've been playing in some aspects (penalties, INT's, dropped balls on O and D, etc...), and then think about how good this team is going to be once those things get ironed out. We can run the ball and we have a beast of a D. What else do you want? Again, health is my only concern at this point...it's crazy, I know, but I'm just callin' it like I see it. No kool-aid here just real-aid

[chrisc0015]

I agree with everything you've stated, but only half-agree about Trent Green having all kinds of time. Green was making quick throws on short routes most of the day, and we were in a Cover 3 a ton meaning Rogers and Smoot's primary responsibility were deep balls which left the shorter routes open too many times for comfort.

[TheGreek1973]

Alright folks, Skinsn24 here. Known to many on this board as a “naysayer”, “hater”, or “negative nancy”. I have had my fanship called into questions more than once because of my negative posts on this team. However, I have always maintained that I am a huge skins fans and anyone that has ever watched a game with me, would know that I am the craziest of the crazies. I have also maintained that I just write what I see and am not negative for the hell of it but because that’s what I had seen. Well I am now here, writing a long op, about what have I have seen. I looked long and hard for a thread to put all my thoughts in but decided to just create a new one (mods have mercy, I don’t start many threads) and I hope to engage in debates (not fights or name calling) on the points that I will write below. So without any further a due here are my observations/thoughts on this team:

The Washington Redskins are 2-0 beating the Dolphins at home and the Iggles on the road. The redskin fan base (myself included) is very excited and some people have started to mention various records and a certain P word. I will not mention that P word but will address the issue later.

Oppenents:

Dolphins-I view this team as a bottom of the barrel team with a defense that last year ranked 4th but is aging and on the decline. There offense seems to have almost nothing going for it with Trent Green looking over the hill and no running game at all.—Beating the Dolphins by 3 in OT at home is nothing to get excited about, but the best part of the NFL is a win is a win and they are all worth the same.

The Iggles-A team I view as on their way down but still with enough talent to be a decent ball club. None the less, the Skins went into Philly and won a primetime game. The win could have been a blowout had JC hit Moss over the top, that said the game would have been tied or been 2 points if McNabb had hit Curtis wide open on 3rd down, but this would not have been an issue if the pass to moss was completed. I LOVED the go for the throat play call. One of the best plays called by Saunders since he has been here, if not the best play call.

Neither win was dominating but both were Wins and the second was better than the first (a good thing).

Offense:

The offense started slow but in the first 2 games I could actually see them coming together and getting progressively more comfortable with each other, which is something truly great to watch happen. However, the offensive line injuries ESP R. Thomas may end up being a killer.

JC---JC looks like he can actually become the QB we all wanted him to be. Is he there yet? NO. But he is getting better and better with every snap. His stats this season are pretty poor, but watching the games and the way he plays, one can tell a lot more about the kid. He has made a lot of good reads. Despite throwing 3 picks, his decisions have been mostly solid. The 2nd pick of the dolphins game was fine in my opinion, If I have 1 on 1, I take the shot everytime. The pick in the Iggles game was a tough one as he wanted to throw earlier but the D lineman jumped up so he pulled it back down and threw it late, he will learn to go elsewhere and not take the chance with the late throw. His legs are the difference maker and allows him to make plays.

Jason has also had a fair share of his balls dropped, Cooley in the iggles game dropped some well thrown balls. Santana seemed to drop balls in the dolphins game but upon further review a lot of those balls were behind him and very tough to catch when coming across the field.

My biggest concern with Jason is hitting the WRs in route. As I said above a lot of his passes have been behind guys and even on some of the long throws (a lot of them are really nice) the throws have been slightly off, not allowing the WRs to catch and run, but simply adjust catch and go down. I believe he will work on this and eventually we will see our guys getting hit in stride and making big gains.

The offensive line has played very well but the injuries really bother me. Another injury and line will be totally depleted. It remains to be seen if Fabini can produce in the running game or if we are going to take a step back. Samuels is back to an all pro level.

The run game has been great with CP and Ladell. I like them both and I think it is pretty evident that Portis is def the more effective running but what Ladell does cannot be underestimated. He hits defenders hard and spells Portis, allowing Portis to be much more effective and well rested. I am sick and tired of the CP vs LB debates, they both have a role and they both do it well. Same in the passing game, CP blocks and LB is good out of the backfield. Sellers is a beast, gotta love the guy, just hope he doesn’t fumble.

Interesting note is that in the Iggles game every 3 wr set (while Randel El was healthy) used James Trash and not B. Lloyd. Some will say its because Trash can block, which is true but Lloyd must really be in the doghouse to be behind thrash on the depth chart. I really hope Caldwell can turn into a good third option because we need one.

The Defense:

Anyone that has read my post history knows I have been extremely critical of this unit and bashed them for many, many reasons. However, I have always said that the key to the defense is C. Griffin, his health and his play. He looks to be playing great and shutting down the run, which allows the weaker players on the DL to be more effective.

Lack of Pass rush. Yes I know the skins sacks are up from last year but they are still not where they need to be from the front 4. Trent Green seemed to have all day for most of the dolphins game. I would like to see QBs actually get hurried from a 4 man rush and not just stand around all comfy looking, though I doubt this will happen. Carter looks Ok, but nothing special at all.

The Linebackers-

Wow, I am so impressed with Rocky and it was not something I saw coming. The kid can play and has played at a phenomenal level so far. I am really surprised but I am now a true believer in this kid.

Fletcher is great as I knew he would be, one of the most underrated player in the league for the last 10 years.

MWash is struggling with his injury. He is running around with 1 hand and it is effecting his tackling in a bad way. I hope he gets healthy because he needs both arms to be effective and we need him to be effective.

The Secondary-Ah, the biggest question/debate of the offseason. Does the secondary suck because of the Dline or did the Dline suck because the secondary couldn’t cover anyone. Well the secondary looks improved, how much, I cant say yet.

I like ST as a true free safety, it is obvious teams are actually staying away from him and he is tackling better but did take a bad angle on Westbrook a few times.

Springs is still a shutdown corner. He is noticeably better than any other CB on the roster and we need him to go head to toe with Plaxx all game long.

Smoot-1 game, unimpressive, but he is a playmaker and I believe with time he could be the source of some TOs.

Rogers-much better in week 2 than he has ever been in his career, actually looking back at the ball when its in the air vs running with his head only looking at the WR. Week 1 was too similar to last year for me.

Landry will be a stud, he has made a few mistakes but he is not a wild player and has his head on his shoulders. Very sound. He seems to televise his blitzes way too much though and is getting picked up easily by the Oline.

This bring me to my final point on the D, we are blitzing more than last year but nowhere near the amount we did in 05 or what we were told we were going to be doing. The blitzes also seem to be televised and fairly easy to pick up. However, Rocky has done a great job at getting by blockers and getting to the QB.

Special Teams:

-I still don’t trust kickers, but I like the kid, a lot.

-Frost is doing pretty damn well.

-Is Rock really the best we have at KR…I know he is solid and gets the ball past the 25 but I gotta believe we have someone better on roster.

Interesting Points:

We have lost the turnover battle in both games, but won each game. That trend cannot/will not continue. We need to generate turnovers on defense, it has to happen, especially if we are employing a “bend but don’t break” type D which I don’t really buy into.

The giants game is a MUST WIN for the Redskins. Being a good team is all about winning in division. In ’05 we went 5-1 in the division and we all know what happened that year. We have a chance to end the Giants season if we win, but a chance to let them get it back together if we lose. It is a Must win.

Fans: Can we please stop using the P word or saying things like “6-0”? This is the NFL and things change quickly. The last thing I want is for this team to be jinxed or for everyone to get there hopes up so early, only to have them come crashing down. If we are 6-0 then we can say “6-0” and maybe start thinking about the P word. Until then, lets just take it game by game.

I realize this was long and some of it was pretty obvious but I wanted to cover the whole team in 1 post, so some of the depth of my thoughts was lost. Lastly, it should be apparent that I like our team and the way we are playing, we just need to execute better in a few areas to really be a good squad.

I agree with a lot you said in the above post but something is bothering me. You said this is the NFL and things can change etc etc. No question about it. However if you are a fan of say Denver, the Windy city or even the Colts how would you feel about your team? I mean you are still cutting down the skins in many areas which IMO don't deserve.

So say I am a Denver fan. What can I say about "my" team that has won two cames completly by luck against two teams that will be very lucky to make it to 500.

Dallas fan. If you know football you know that you can't go far without a D and the pukes don't have one. They played two bad teams scored a lot of points but they also were scored upon plenty. Can you imagine what NE is going to do to them if they don'timprove in D?

Bears---great D but a non existence at QB. At least they can hope a Ravens miracle of 2000.

The skins for me are balance AND improving for game to game. Sure there have been only two games however we so a mighty improvement on both sides of the ball. That to me is huge. If we continue then the sky is the limit. Very few teams can say that right now.

[jrt212]

All I can say is....

Why do people change the font? It's not pretty and totally more difficult to read. There is a reason these newsgroup programs use a basic font.

Pet peave.

yeah man, times new roman is so hard to read, god. especially size 12. what were you thinking, not everyone has 20/20 vision.

[skinsn24]

I've read all this all week long. Believe me, you're not the first to make all of those points. Any given Sunday is a movie. If you play like you know you can play every time you hit the field, any given Sunday doesn't mean a thing. You think any of our players think like that...any given Sunday? Nope, they don't. My reasoning is this: they've pounded the ball on two sound Defenses, they're in the top 5 in the league in 3rd down conversions if I'm not mistaken on both sides of the ball, they've won games despite they're young qb's poor play at times (who has overcome his mistakes and made game changing plays in those same games to help the team win, which qb's with 8 games under they're belt don't normally do), and the "bend but don't break" philosophy that you poo pooed is what help the Colts (with Sanders) win every playoff game and win the SB last year. So, I don't buy in to your reasoning of any given Sunday...not with this team. They know what it's like to be 5-11. They had plenty of any given Sundays last year. I'd suffice to say that there won't be a whole lot of any given Sundays with this 07 team. Just my take. I do buy in to the saying that opinions are like ass holes though :laugh:

We'll see but this team is better than most give them credit for. Do me a favor. Spend about 45 mins or so researching the stats on the Skins for the past two games including Rocky, Frosty, Randle El, the 3rd down situation on both sides of the ball, and yardage/t.o.p. Look at all of that, think about how bad they've been playing in some aspects (penalties, INT's, dropped balls on O and D, etc...), and then think about how good this team is going to be once those things get ironed out. We can run the ball and we have a beast of a D. What else do you want? Again, health is my only concern at this point...it's crazy, I know, but I'm just callin' it like I see it. No kool-aid here just real-aid

Lol. Did you watch Derek Anderson toss 5 TD passes last week? Now tell me that you predicted that. Did you see App State beat Michigan? This is football, the games are played for a reason. Upsets happen.

I honestly dont think you read the OP because it was, id say, 95% postive. I wish you were correct and hope you are on all your predictions but you seem to be predicting a 16-0 season, because "any given sundays dont happen" or you are suggesting we have 0% chance to beat the patriots.

I would love to debate any of the real points that i cited in my OP, like us not creating turnovers or the lack of pass rush from the front 4.

BUt i will not debate "we are going 16-0" vs "we still have 14 games to play, lets wait and see"

[skinsn24]

I agree with everything you've stated, but only half-agree about Trent Green having all kinds of time. Green was making quick throws on short routes most of the day, and we were in a Cover 3 a ton meaning Rogers and Smoot's primary responsibility were deep balls which left the shorter routes open too many times for comfort.

Yes i know this, i have been in many threads on the cover 3. And hey the strategy seemed to work, but the game was too close for comfort imo. But a win is a win.

It just reminded me too much of last years soft coverage and still getting beat.

The best cover 3 or even cover 2 is when you can generate pressure with the front 4, thus dropping 7 and making it impossible for qbs.

[skinsn24]

I agree with a lot you said in the above post but something is bothering me. You said this is the NFL and things can change etc etc. No question about it. However if you are a fan of say Denver, the Windy city or even the Colts how would you feel about your team? I mean you are still cutting down the skins in many areas which IMO don't deserve.

So say I am a Denver fan. What can I say about "my" team that has won two cames completly by luck against two teams that will be very lucky to make it to 500.

Dallas fan. If you know football you know that you can't go far without a D and the pukes don't have one. They played two bad teams scored a lot of points but they also were scored upon plenty. Can you imagine what NE is going to do to them if they don'timprove in D?

Bears---great D but a non existence at QB. At least they can hope a Ravens miracle of 2000.

The skins for me are balance AND improving for game to game. Sure there have been only two games however we so a mighty improvement on both sides of the ball. That to me is huge. If we continue then the sky is the limit. Very few teams can say that right now.

You raise some intersting questions, that are good but kind of off topic, but I am not sure where i was cutting down skins. That is what i would like to debate, tell me where i cut them down and why you think differently.

However, Denver was not lucky in there wins, they won tight games, just like we did...first game game winning FG (we hit an FG in OT)...second game they had another gw FG in ot. We held philly on the what 12 yard line after McNabb missed curtis.

We were not lucky and neither were they. The better teams won all 4 games.

The bears have no real QB, i agree but there defense is at a level not many ever get to. They seem to get lucky every game (i live with 3 bears fans) but they win all the games, so at this point, i cant really call it luck.

If i am the colts, i know what we have, we have an incredible offense with the best player in the league leading the team. Our defense has played better and we are a virtual lock to make the playoffs..not because we are 2-0 but because our offensive unit has proven time and time again that they can get it done.

[jrt212]

I've read all this all week long. Believe me, you're not the first to make all of those points. Any given Sunday is a movie. If you play like you know you can play every time you hit the field, any given Sunday doesn't mean a thing. You think any of our players think like that...any given Sunday? Nope, they don't. My reasoning is this: they've pounded the ball on two sound Defenses, they're in the top 5 in the league in 3rd down conversions if I'm not mistaken on both sides of the ball, they've won games despite they're young qb's poor play at times (who has overcome his mistakes and made game changing plays in those same games to help the team win, which qb's with 8 games under they're belt don't normally do), and the "bend but don't break" philosophy that you poo pooed is what help the Colts (with Sanders) win every playoff game and win the SB last year. So, I don't buy in to your reasoning of any given Sunday...not with this team. They know what it's like to be 5-11. They had plenty of any given Sundays last year. I'd suffice to say that there won't be a whole lot of any given Sundays with this 07 team. Just my take. I do buy in to the saying that opinions are like ass holes though :laugh:

We'll see but this team is better than most give them credit for. Do me a favor. Spend about 45 mins or so researching the stats on the Skins for the past two games including Rocky, Frosty, Randle El, the 3rd down situation on both sides of the ball, and yardage/t.o.p. Look at all of that, think about how bad they've been playing in some aspects (penalties, INT's, dropped balls on O and D, etc...), and then think about how good this team is going to be once those things get ironed out. We can run the ball and we have a beast of a D. What else do you want? Again, health is my only concern at this point...it's crazy, I know, but I'm just callin' it like I see it. No kool-aid here just real-aid

sorry, but again, skins24's point about our opponents is the main point here. you talk about our statistics, which do look nice, but remember they were against sorry teams. yes, we won in philly, a huge step, but it wasagainst a team with sorry wrs, a banged up quarterback, and a depleted secondary. there is a reason that "any given sunday" was a common phrase before the movie came out, because it rings true. the better team does not always win, look at the joe namath.

we look good, we are 2-0, and last year we would not have made the small plays that turn a close game from a loss to a win. before we get ahead of ourselves, lets take these games one at a time, or else you will end up looking like a depressed penn state fan, wondering how you lost to michigan AGAIN. the idea of bringing your best game each sunday really does depend on not looking ahead of this coming week, and if we keep talking 4-0, or 6-0, then it will be easy to overlook a banged up giants roster that put up quite a fight against the cowgirls in week 1.

our defensive line let donovan stand around too long in the second half, and it was painful to watch the eagles walk down the field after an entire half of stout defense. right now, we are at the top of the league in 3rd down efficiency, on both sides of the ball, which is an enormous upgrade over last year, and that is nice to see, but until we face an offense that has actual weapons, and until we face a defense that is on the lesser side of 30, i will not feel 100% confident about 6-0. I agree with the comment about the bend, dont break defense, as that is what they were doing for real on monday night, but i just wish they wouldnt bend so far. i dont like seeing a team get inside the ten before we decide to stop them.